Thunder & Lightning
by Gage39
Summary: Follow Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow as they form the Thunder Legion, become a family and work on new ways to worship Laxus. From fighting off potential suitors, crossdressing, and taking care of the "babies" to figuring out how to live without their beloved leader around every minute their lives are certainly never boring!
1. First Meetings

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 1: First Meetings

Bickslow was seven when his father handed him over to a group of strange people, each wearing a mask to cover their face.

"Stay with them; they'll make sure that you never kill anyone again."

Bickslow nodded; staying with them meant that his father would never hit him again, never again tell him that it was his fault his mother was in the ground and not on the trapeze like she was supposed to be. And, just like that, his father turned around and left, several thousand jewel in his pocket and his only son in the hands of the less than scrupulous Magic Council scientists.

It didn't take Bickslow long to learn that his father had not been so bad. The scientists didn't usually hit him but they did other things instead. They poked needles into his back and took samples of his bone marrow, ignoring his screams and the tears that ran down his face. They tried cutting the mark off of his face but it grew back every time. After a year they began sticking needles into his eyes in an effort to discover exactly how his magic worked and shaved his head so they could put electrodes on him and discussed cutting open his brain.

It had been almost two years since Bickslow came there when the doors to his cell opened and a little girl was thrown in.

* * *

Evergreen grew up in a tower; it wasn't a pretty one like Rapunzel's and there was no evil witch guarding the place or handsome princes trying to climb its walls but it did serve its purpose. It kept her locked away so that no one would ever look into her eyes again and be turned into a stone statue.

Just before her seventh birthday Evergreen looked out the lone window and swore that, for just an instant, she had seen something small and pretty with wings flying through the flowers. A fairy had come to see her; a glorious, fantastical creature had come all this way just to see the monster that was known as Evergreen. No, she decided. If a fairy had truly come to see her then there was no way she could be a monster, she was undoubtedly something just as wonderful as the fairies themselves, perhaps even a queen. The Fairy Queen.

When her supper was delivered she took advantage to that fact and turned the servant to stone then simply walked out of the tower, her glasses in her hand as she turned everyone that got in her way into a statue as well.

There was such a long trail of stone behind her that it didn't take long for the Magic Council to catch up with her. No matter how much she struggled they refused to let go of her and had taken the added precaution of tying her hands behind her back so she couldn't take off her glasses. She didn't like the look of the place that they had taken her to and she liked the cell that they threw her in even less. The only thing she did like about the entire situation was Bickslow.

He tried to protect her as best he could, attacking the guards when they came for her and covering her body with his own when some of the scientists started leering at her in a way that made her skin crawl and her eyes itch to unleash her power. He couldn't always protect her, however, and he would hold her when she came back crying. He patted her hair and told her that one day they would rule the world and punish those that had hurt them.

She had been there for two months when Freed arrived.

* * *

Freed Justine was the only son of a rich nobleman and, as such, was groomed from birth to take his father's place. He learned proper etiquette as soon as he could talk and how to talk like a true gentleman. Despite the fact that the family did use lacrimas to help them in their everyday lives and to impress their rich friends' magic was not at all a proper thing. It dragged people into adventures and made them look like fools and absolutely ruined one's reputation. As you can therefore imagine they were horrified when they learned that their son possessed magic. Writing magic wasn't so bad but when Freed accidentally summoned a demon and left scars on his mother's face that was the last straw.

"I'm taking you to the Magic Council. They've assured me that they can find a way to remove that stuff from you and once they do then you can come back home and resume your studies," Lord Justine told his son.

Freed wasn't at all sure that he wanted the magic to be removed; even if he had hurt his mother he liked the way that it felt when he used it but he was only seven and was fairly certain that he couldn't challenge his father and win so he remained quiet.

The cell they took him to was small and cramped made so even more by the fact that he was sharing it with two other children. He quickly discovered that he liked them, however, and since it was cold at night they huddled together for warmth and whispered back and forth. Bickslow was working on a plan for them to rule the world and Evergreen recounted all of the fairy tales that she had ever read while Freed did his best to remember every single detail he had ever read.

As a gentleman Freed fulfilled his duties as he protected Evergreen to the best of his abilities. Bickslow helped too although it was plain to all of them that he had been there for far too long, had suffered so much that his mind was slowly but surely cracking under the strain. If any of them were to maintain their sanity then they had to escape that place and soon otherwise they might all wind up talking to the corners and claiming that there were souls hiding there.

* * *

Freed had been there for almost six months when something happened. The guards brought Bickslow back as usual but they were paler than they had ever been before and were almost gentle when they put him on the ground. It took the older boy an hour to stop screaming but once he did they discovered that he had removed the soul of one of the head scientists and ripped it to shreds.

"I didn't mean to," he sobbed once again as he buried his face in Evergreen's chest.

"We can use this to our advantage," Freed said thoughtfully.

"How so?" the little girl cocked her head to one side as she patted Bickslow's bald head consolingly.

"Just think about it; each of us possesses a special gift, a powerful one. Ever, you can turn people to stone, Bickslow can not only control souls but apparently he can steal them as well and I can turn into a demon. If we combined all our powers they wouldn't stand a chance." Freed lifted his head proudly and smiled, his right eye seeming to glow for a second.

"You really think so?" Bickslow pulled away from Evergreen, still sniffling a little.

"It does sound like a good plan," Ever admitted.

"Can we bring the souls too?" Bickslow asked, gesturing towards the empty corner.

"The more the merrier," Freed smiled although, after learning of his friend's new ability, he was wondering if there really were five disembodied souls in this wretched place with them.

The plan went into action the next morning; when the guards opened the cell doors and Freed felt that familiar tingle as the magic energy they let in brushed against his fingers he responded. He bit his finger and used the blood to write the word _Pain._ As they screamed Bickslow used his acrobatic abilities to nimbly climb one of them and yank his mask off, allowing Evergreen to use her Stone Eyes on him.

It wasn't long before chaos reigned in the illegal scientific experimentation building. Freed had managed to find a proper pen and was writing his magic runes as fast as he could. Bickslow provided cover for him, using his Figure Eyes on the more stupid people that hadn't bothered covering their eyes as they hadn't thought the children would ever escape. Evergreen was currently keeping watch, turning what people she could to stone and throwing debris at the ones she couldn't.

One of the brighter guards had called for backup and then started passing out rifles. Bullets whizzed past the children, causing Freed to have to go on the defensive, writing the word _Shield_ instead of figuring a way out like he wanted. Evergreen shrieked, alerting him to the fact that blood was now running down Bickslow's left arm and leg.

"Bickslow!" Freed shouted, feeling his rage and fear grow to immeasurable levels. He could literally feel the demon within him straining to break free but he resisted. What if he hurt Ever and Bickslow like he had his mother? He didn't think he would ever forgive himself if that happened.

"I'm fine," the older boy lied, his teeth clenched as he struggled not to pass out.

"No you're not," Ever accused. "This isn't working, we're losing. They've called the Royal Army and they'll be here any minute."

"Do you want to go back to the cell?" Freed snapped. When Ever didn't respond he nodded. "I didn't think so and I don't know about the two of you but I'd rather die than go back."

"You're going to have to let the demon out," Bickslow shouted. "I know you're scared of hurting us but it's the only way to save us."

"Are you sure?" Freed had to make absolutely certain because once he did this there was no turning back.

"Yes!" Evergreen cried, ducking as another bullet whizzed by.

 _Please,_ Freed thought, _please let me protect them. Let me protect my friends, no my family._ An unearthly howl burst from his lips as he felt his muscles expanding and his clothes shredding. Unlike the first time he was in control of the transformation and felt a strange calm descend upon him. He would have felt sorry for the idiots that he was about to destroy but he couldn't find it within himself to do so.

"I knew you could do it," Bickslow grinned, sticking his tongue out.

"Come," Freed held out his hands. "Let us show these fools why they shouldn't have messed with us."

"Agreed," Ever smiled warmly as she took Freed's hand and held out her other one.

Bickslow hesitated for barely a second then took both of their hands. "Let's give 'em hell."

"Give 'em hell," voices that Freed and Evergreen had never heard before echoed in their ears but they were not alarmed. These voices, these lost souls that Bickslow had found meant them no harm and, would in fact, help them as best they could. They were forever linked to the seith mage, were bound to his soul and would protect him.

Magic energy flowed between the three; it enveloped them, wrapped them in a protective circle even as it spread out, covering the entire building before converging in a massive explosion that destroyed everything in a three mile radius including the newly arrived Royal Army.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three someone else was nearby. Just outside the blast radius young Laxus Dreyar had just finished his first solo mission and was ready to head back to Fairy Tail. He couldn't wait to see the look on his Grandfather's face especially since he hadn't bothered to obtain permission before leaving, despite the fact that, at age ten, he was still too young to go on solo missions. He had no doubt whatsoever that he was in for the scolding of his life but it had totally been worth it.

Suddenly there was a giant explosion and Laxus hurriedly threw himself into a ditch, carefully peeking out once the noise had died down and debris had stopped falling from the sky. He recognized the emblem of the Magic Council on a piece of blood-stained armor. He gulped nervously and decided that, as the only Fairy Tail member nearby, it was his civic duty to investigate. He just hoped that he would live to tell his Grandfather about it.

It took him a couple of hours but he finally managed to locate the source of the disturbance. There was even more rubble here and it was obvious that a very big building had exploded. He kicked at a piece of concrete then shrieked when he saw a hand underneath. It twitched once then stilled and Laxus freaked. Anxiously he began throwing aside more and more pieces of rubble, desperate to find whoever had survived such a disaster.

Soon he had managed to unearth a boy, he was almost completely bald with a few tufts of green hair. His clothes were torn and his hands were attached to two other sets of arms. More survivors? It took Laxus several more minutes to dig the others out but once he did he started at them in horror and in wonder. All three children were bald and the biggest one had burn marks on the sides of his head and appeared to have been shot. They were, thankfully, still breathing so Laxus instead dug out the tiny First Aid kit he taken from his Grandfather's office and waited for them to wake up.

Freed was the first to stir; he opened his eyes and started when he saw a boy learning over him. He looked to be close to Bickslow's age and had bright blonde hair and a lightning scar over his left eye. Both of them shrieked and pulled back then leaned in a little closer to examine each other. A groan caught their attention and they turned to see Evergreen trying to sit up. She coughed weakly and moved her hand around in a blind attempt to locate her glasses.

"Stay still," Freed ordered. "I'll help you find them in a minute as soon as I check on Bickslow."

"Is he okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Give me a minute," Freed stretched his hand out to where Bickslow lay, sighing in relief when his fingers found a pulse. " He's still alive."

"What exactly happened here?" the new boy asked. "And just how did the three of you manage to survive?"

"And who are you?" Freed did his best to keep his voice even although, inwardly, he was freaking out because he had used up all of his magic energy and he suspected that the others had as well. There was no way he could take this kid on in a fight and hope to win.

"Laxus, I'm a member of Fairy Tail," he sounded proud.

"Fairy Tail?" Ever's head snapped around so fast it was a wonder she hadn't broken her neck. Freed suspected that if her eyes hadn't been closed they would be shining, complete with little stars. She was beyond obsessed with fairies.

"Um, yeah," Laxus was now looking at the little girl warily.

"I don't see no fairies," Bickslow sat up, looking slightly puzzled.

"You're all right," Freed smiled in relief. All of his friends were safe, their magic had wiped out their enemies.

"Is there an actual fairy in charge?" Evergreen demanded.

"Of course not," Laxus looked slightly offended. "My Grandpa's in charge, not some stupid winged creature that doesn't even exist."

"Evergreen, no!" Freed launched for the girl when it became obvious that she planned to turn Laxus to stone. "He dug us out of the rubble and he has a First Aid. We still need to dig the bullets out of Bickslow, not to mention the fact that we're out of magical energy. He's the only one who's been kind to us since we were captured. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt for now, okay?"

"Fine," Evergreen huffed and crossed her arms, keeping her eyes closed.

"I'm lost but I guess I'll help you," Laxus declared. He opened the First Aid kit and cautiously moved toward Bickslow.

Freed couldn't honestly blame him for being a little scared of them; if he had found a couple of half-naked children in the middle of nowhere at the scene of immense destruction he would be wary too.

Laxus wasn't an idiot, contrary to popular opinion and, as he worked on removing the bullets, he started piecing things together. Rumors had been flying around about how the Magic Council had begun performing illegal experimentation on children born with dark magic. If so, well then, he knew his Grandfather would welcome them with welcome arms and keep them hidden from the Magic Council. The old man had always had a soft spot for children and especially for ones that had obviously been mistreated.

"Do you guys have anywhere to go?" he asked, tying off a bandage.

"I'm afraid not," Freed answered, having exchanged names in an attempt to keep Bickslow's mind off of the impromptu surgery.

"You can come with me," he offered. "Gramps'll welcome the chance to get a few more members."

"Join Fairy Tail?" Evergreen gasped, her eyes wide behind the newly discovered, albeit cracked glasses.

"It does sound rather tempting," Freed said weakly.

"What about the Magic Council?" Bickslow cocked his head to one side and regarded the stranger. He had little trouble trusting Laxus but adults were another story. In his rather limited experience they only offered pain and suffering.

"They think we're a pain in the ass," Laxus snorted. "Trust me, they won't bother you if you join us. But at the very least we can treat your injuries better there and you can rest up."

"That sounds like a good idea," Freed agreed after seeing the confirming nods of his friends.

"All right then, let's go!" Laxus jumped up and began repacking his supplies.

"You heard him," Freed smiled as he stood up. "We have a guild to investigate."

As the four of them started off of the journey that would take them to Fairy Tail Freed couldn't help but feel that, just maybe, this journey would take them someplace far more wonderful than they had ever imagined.

* * *

A/N: Hopefully this will a multi-chapter fic about the Thunder Legion and their God. However, I'm not stupid and I do know that my attention tends to waver therefore I will not be making any promises as to whether or not this story will be completed. I will do my absolute best though and appreciate any comments or suggestions as to what you want to see the Thunder Legion do. Thanks for reading!


	2. New Recruits

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 2: New Recruits

It was official; as soon as Laxus returned to the guild Makarov was going to kill him. The master of Fairy Tail was still spitting nails over the fact that his son had done something as stupid as planting a Dragon Slayer lacrima in his grandson but for said grandson to then go run off and take a solo job was really pushing it. He crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath.

"The kid'll be fine," Macao assured him for the fifteenth time that day. "If you're really worried about him why didn't you send someone after him?"

Makarov scowled but didn't answer. Macao just shook his head and went to go sit at his normal table. Oh why couldn't that stupid brat just hurry up and get back already? Then Makarov wouldn't have to worry anymore and things could get back to normal around here.

Later that afternoon, when things were relatively quiet (or as quiet as they could ever get at Fairy Tail) the doors swung open and Laxus entered. He was covered in dirt and looked rather tired but held the door open as three other children entered behind him. They appeared to be wearing Laxus's clothes, judging by the lightning bolts (Makarov hoped he outgrew that stage soon) and looked even worse than his grandson.

"Hey, Gramps," Laxus waved.

"Don't you 'hey, Gramps' me, young man," Makarov shouted as he jumped off the bar and walked over to them. "Just where the heck have you been?"

"Exploring," Laxus said cheerfully. "And look what I found!"

It was at that moment that the biggest boy in the group chose to fall to the ground, blood soaking the floor beneath him. Pandemonium broke out as the little girl started screaming at the top of her lungs and the few grown-ups in the guild started rushing around, shouting about preparing the infirmary and Reedus ran off to go and find Porlyusica.

"We'll carry him," the younger boy said firmly when Makarov attempted to carry his friend.

"All right," Makarov stood back and watched as the two children struggled to carry the other one up the stairs and to the infirmary. "Our Medical Advisor will be here shortly to treat his wounds. Can you tell me what happened to him?"

"A building fell on us," floated down to him.

"Can we talk outside, Gramps?" Laxus asked.

"Of course," Makarov nodded as the two of them went outside. "So what have you done this time?"

"I didn't do anything; the Magic Council did," Laxus protested.

Makarov let out a loud groan and rubbed one hand across his face. "So what did those dunderheads do?"

Laxus told him everything; the destruction he'd seen, the injuries they had been sporting and the fact that they had nowhere else to go.

"They've gone too far this time," he pounded his fist into his other hand. "How dare they harm innocent children?!" Makarov was literally shaking with rage; as both a guild master and a father he didn't understand how anyone could harm a child, no matter what their abilities were.

"Hey, uh, Master? The kid's awake," Macao informed them.

"Thank you, we'll be right there."

* * *

His head hurt and he felt so weak that it wasn't even funny. Bickslow groaned and flopped an arm across his face in an attempt to block out the light that felt like it was drilling a hole into his eyes.

"He's awake!" Evergreen's cheerful voice was loud and he felt the bed dip as she climbed next to him.

"Are you feeling better?" Freed's voice sounded the same as always but an undercurrent of concern was visible to those who knew him.

Bickslow shrugged, finally moving his arm and attempting to sit up.

"That's not a good idea, my boy, you did pass out after all," a short, elderly man who could only be Laxus's grandfather stood in the doorway, Laxus next to him.

Bickslow scowled. He did not pass out! Only weaklings did that and he was most certainly not a weakling.

"I'm Makarov by the way and you've already met my grandson. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Freed, this is Evergreen and that's Bickslow, we are grateful for your hospitality," Freed bowed.

"The pleasure is all mine," Makarov smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you want."

"Have you ever seen a fairy?" Evergreen suddenly asked, her eyes wide.

"Nope, can't say as I have," Makarov shook his head. Upon seeing her disappointed look he quickly added, "But that doesn't mean that they don't exist, just that I haven't looked in all the right places."

Evergreen beamed at him and was probably about to ask him more questions when Bickslow hissed and covered his eyes with his hands, a faint green glow shining from behind them.

"Oh dear," Freed winced. "Sir, I hate to impose but do you have anything Bickslow could cover his eyes with? Sometimes his powers act up and it's not a good idea to look when that happens."

"Of course," Makarov went downstairs then returned carrying a metal visor. "It's all we had," he said apologetically.

Bickslow put it on then titled his head to the side and blinked. Everything looked kind of weird through the metal slats and even though he could still see their souls he couldn't control them. He nodded, indicating that it worked. Freed was frowning, no doubt worrying about his friend's newfound silence but Bickslow couldn't say anything. If there was one thing he had learned it was that he had a big mouth which inevitably made others angry and try to hurt him. If it had been just him he might not have been so worried but Evergreen and Freed were here too and as the oldest it was his job to protect them, even if that meant saying absolutely nothing so Master Makarov wouldn't get angry and toss them out. It was a small price to pay if it meant keeping them safe.

"What have you done now, you old fool?" a woman walked in the door, an annoyed expression on her face that deepened as she caught sight of the children.

"Now, now let's not point fingers. The children are injured and need your help," Makarov said hastily as Laxus ducked behind him.

She scowled but nodded and approached Bickslow. "Show me your injuries," she ordered.

Bickslow complied; holding up his arm for inspection and rolling up the pant legs to show her the bullet wound there. Her nostrils flared and for a second he was reminded of a fierce dragon then she grunted and began unwinding the bandages. She was very efficient as she cleaned the bullet holes and re-bandaged them.

"Take off your shirt," she crossed her arms and waited.

Once Bickslow's shirt had come off and even worse injuries revealed Makarov decided that it was time he and Laxus depart. Porlyusica preferred less people in the room so it would allow her to focus more of her attention on the kids anyway. Besides they were going to need clothes and other things so he could work on getting that set in motion.

Once downstairs he looked through the various members and brightened when he saw the Strauss siblings, technically Fairy Tail's newest members although he hoped that would change once the kids upstairs were feeling better.

"Mira, come here."

"Yes, Master?" Mira was in the beginning of her rebellious stage but she had still retained her manners.

"We've got some new arrivals upstairs, two boys and a girl. They're close to your family's size and I was wondering if you had any clothes you didn't want anymore." Makarov didn't usually ask kids to give up their clothes but he knew for a fact that both Elfman and Mira had just gone through a growth spurt and that none of their old clothes would fit anymore.

"We just went through everything last night," she confessed. "We haven't had a chance to throw them out yet but they're all bagged up. I'll have Elfman go get them; it shouldn't take him more than two trips."

She may still have her manners but she still delegated everything to her brother even when helping him meant that it would get done much, much sooner. Idly Makarov wondered what she would be like when this rebellious stage of hers was over with. She would either turn out to be tough as nails or sickeningly sweet. Makarov had to stifle a laugh at the thought of the latter option. Mira Jane sweet? Yeah right.

"Macao will go with him," Makarov said.

"All right," Mira nodded then turned and stalked across the room to where her brother was. "Elfman! Get your butt over to the house and get those clothes we were going to get rid of. Macao, go with him!" Satisfied that her tasks would be carried out she went over to look at the request board, dragging Laxus with her.

Makarov just groaned then nodded in assent to Macao. These kids were going to be the death of him one day, he just knew it.

* * *

It was another two hours before Porlyusica descended the stairs, the look on her face even more grim than usual. She didn't bother to glance at him as she entered his office and took a seat, waiting for him to come in.

"So how are they?" Makarov didn't waste any time beating around the bush as he sat on top of his desk.

"They'll live but it'll take some time for their injuries to heal. The oldest boy, Bickslow, has suffered brain damage though. I'm not sure how extensive the damage is but you should prepare for the worst. I've already informed them of everything but they didn't really seem surprised." She sighed, looking old for just a brief second. "This confirms everything I've ever thought about humans; they're greedy, selfish creatures who hurt their own children just because they're different. Despicable."

"I wholeheartedly agree with you," Makarov said somberly.

* * *

Bickslow looked at the ceiling and giggled.

"Bickslow?" Ever asked cautiously from her bed, being careful not to reopen any wounds as Porlyusica had looked rather severe when lecturing them about proper infirmary behavior.

Bickslow didn't say anything but giggled again.

"Miss Porlyusica did give him some strong pain medication," Freed pointed out. "Perhaps that's what has elicited this response."

Bickslow sat up then and frowned at him. "You're upsetting the fairies with all your big words," he grumbled.

"Well at least you're talking again; for a moment I was afraid that your tongue had fallen out," the younger boy sighed.

"Fairies?" Ever questioned.

"They're makin' a rainbow," Bickslow pointed towards the ceiling.

" _Not fairies,"_ a voice whispered in his head.

Bickslow frowned again then grinned once he realized that what he had thought were rainbow fairies were actually the five souls he had found in his cell and linked to his own. The six of them were now bound together no matter what although Bickslow had been a little worried when he couldn't hear them after the explosion. Evidentially, in an effort to protect themselves from all the magic energy, they had hidden within his soul and were just now disengaging themselves.

"Why can't I see the fairies?" Evergreen pouted.

Bickslow had been about to reply, to tell her that it was just the lost souls when Master Makarov entered, carrying a large trash bag while Laxus and a white-haired girl came in, also carrying bags.

"So how are you kids feeling?" Makarov asked jovially. He seemed nice enough and the small glimpse Bickslow had caught of his soul earlier hadn't seemed dark but still, one could never tell.

"Much better, thank you," Freed seemed to have taken over the role of speaker which the other two were perfectly fine with.

"That's good. This is Mira Jane, she and her brother have outgrown a lot of their clothes and was wondering if you would be willing to take them," Makarov was no fool, most new arrivals (and even some of the ones that had been there for a while) refused to accept charity so he had learned to be creative in choosing his words. Upon seeing that they still looked hesitant he forged on, "Laxus doesn't have any girl clothes and you," he inclined his head towards Bickslow, "are bigger than him. Elfman's more your size so his clothes are bound to fit you better."

"We appreciate it, thank you," Freed eyed the bags somewhat eagerly. After months of wearing nothing but rags a change of clothes appealed greatly to him. Evergreen also looked excited at the prospect of getting to wear a dress again and even Bickslow had straightened.

"No problem," Mira shrugged and after setting down her bag left, her good deed for the day done. Laxus hesitated a moment then followed, sensing that his Grandfather wanted to talk to them in private.

"So what do you kids plan on doing after you're all better?" Makarov asked.

"We are not yet certain."

"You could always join Fairy Tail," Makarov suggested.

"Really?" Evergreen's eyes lit up again. The mere thought of getting to join a guild named after her favorite creatures was enough to make her want to sing for joy. Even Freed looked a little happy at the prospect.

Bickslow frowned upon seeing the expressions on his friends' faces. He hated the possibility that he could ruin their chance at happiness but he refused to take the chance that they could work for someone whose soul was as black as the scientists had been. He took a deep breath and whipped off the visor they had given him, his eyes glowing green as he fixed his gaze on Makarov's soul.

Makarov was surprised when the boy took off his visor then felt something deep within him tingle. A lesser mage would have never noticed, would have never realized what was happening but he wasn't the Master of Fairy Tail for nothing. The boy was looking at his soul, was searching for something. Ordinarily Makarov would have been angry and had a few choice words but he also knew he had to gain the trust of these children and if this was the only way to obtain it then so be it. He did, however, plan to have a talk with Bickslow later about just looking at people's souls without obtaining their permission first. It was very rude after all. Satisfied, the boy nodded then replaced his visor and gave a thumbs up. The other two gaped at him then turned to face at Makarov, their eyes wide and worry on their faces.

"So what's it going to be?" it was easier to just pretend it hadn't happened.

"We'll join," Freed said.

"Excellent, now do you know where you want your marks to be?"

Freed held up his left hand and asked, "May I have it in green?"

"I want mine here also green," Evergreen pointed to a spot on her chest.

Makarov nodded in approval, in about seven years the Mark would be even more noticeable when her chest finally developed. Freed was most likely a rune mage so a hand only made sense since he would be using that part of his body the most.

"And you?" he turned to Bickslow, slightly curious where his Mark would go.

In response Bickslow grinned, sticking out his tongue.

Well it would definitely be a one of a kind Makarov mused as he pulled out the stamp. "I can't do green there," he apologized. "It wouldn't show up very well, black would though."

Bickslow considered then nodded. He liked black anyways so that was fine with him.

Applying the marks only took a few seconds and Makarov stood back and proudly surveyed his newest members. "Congratulations," he said, "and welcome to Fairy Tail."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have. Reviews of any kind are welcome.


	3. The Thunder Legion

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 3: The Thunder Legion

"I do not understand the female compulsion to collect clothing," Freed stated, staring at the pile of clothes currently resting on the sole unoccupied bed in the room.

Upon further inspection it had been determined that the majority of the clothes were actually Mira's and only a few of them belonged to her brother. Lisanna had taken full advantage of the fact that they were getting rid of clothes and had thrown in the outfits that she didn't like.

"Me neither," Laxus agreed, having returned to help them go through the stuff and to keep them company. He was beyond thrilled to have some more boys his own age in the guild. Elfman cried too much and Mira was kind of creepy.

"I think they're pretty," Evergreen stuck her tongue out at them as she held up one of Lisanna's frilly dresses that the girl had been delighted to be rid of. Mira's stuff was still a little big for her but Ever had already set aside a few things that she liked as she could always grow into it.

"What kid wears this kind of stuff?" Bickslow wrinkled his nose as he inspected one of Elfman's suits. He had never been fond of anything around his neck and the collection of bowties made him want to choke.

"I happen to find suits very comfortable," Freed sniffed then yelped when it hit him in the face.

"Then you can have them," Bickslow continued to look through the clothes. It took forever but he finally managed to find what was most likely the only pair of jeans Elfman had ever owned and one of Mira's black shirts.

"You do know that's a girl's shirt right?" Laxus pointed out as he occupied himself by throwing bowties at Freed when he wasn't looking.

"So what?" Bickslow looked rather confused. He had spent the first seven years of his life in the circus amongst fat ladies, bearded ladies and sword swallowers. The thought of wearing girl's clothes didn't faze him in the slightest, in fact they had always looked more comfortable. It did occur to him, however, that non-circus folk such as Laxus and Evergreen and proper gentlemen such as Freed might not like it. "Is…is that going to be a problem?" the mere thought of losing them made him feel sick all over and hug the shirt tighter to his body.

"As long as you like it then that's all that matters," Freed said diplomatically. He had learned to read body language early on and Bickslow had always been rather transparent.

"You can't have this dress," Evergreen informed him. She had grown up in a tower after all and living with the boys all those months had been her only exposure to the outside world.

"It's too little for him anyways," Laxus said. "But this one isn't," he held up the lone dress that had been Mira's; a gift from a friendly neighbor that the girl had so despised she had never even worn it.

Before Laxus could blink the dress was out of his hands and in Bickslow's whose eyes were gleaming. The visor had been discarded long ago but still lay within easy reach. Laxus shrugged, he had been around enough girls to know better than to try and take away their clothes. People in Fairy Tail were weird enough that the thought of Bickslow wearing a dress didn't faze him in the slightest.

" _Pretty,"_ the souls whispered in Bickslow's ear as he added the dress to the small pile of clothes on his bed. Their whispers reminded him that it was about time he make some bodies for them. It wasn't fair that only he could see and talk to them.

"Do you think the Master would mind if I asked for a few things?" Bickslow asked.

Laxus looked surprised and shook his head. "Gramps won't mind at all as long as you don't ask to rule the guild."

"I just want some carving tools and paint," Bickslow muttered.

"Sure."

"What are you going to make?" Freed asked as he moved the bowties away from the clothes he had chosen. Even he recoiled at the mere idea of wearing the ugly things.

"Bodies," Bickslow replied.

Freed was surprised but then he remembered the souls that had spoken to them while combining their magic and nodded. Since Bickslow could see and talk to them it was conceivable that he could place them in other things.

"He talks to lost souls," Evergreen informed the confused looking Laxus.

"Cool," Laxus grinned. He had heard tales of a boy that could eat fire but he had never met anyone who could talk to souls before. That sounded totally awesome!

Bickslow performed his tongue-wagging grin much to their amusement. The souls giggled in his ear, they liked Laxus. He had been nothing but nice to Bickslow and he didn't seem scared by the prospect of lost souls wandering around.

"Hello, children," Makarov greeted them as he came in to check up on them again. "Have you found any clothes to your liking?"

"They're so pretty," Ever squealed. She was most definitely a girly-girly and longed for her hair to grow back as it had been slightly curly and made her face look adorable.

"Well I'm glad," the old man smiled. "Is there anything that you need to keep yourselves occupied while you recuperate?"

Laxus was only slightly startled when Bickslow elbowed him then quickly realized that he was going to have to talk in the other boy's stead. "Bickslow was wondering if he could have some carving tools and paint."

"Of course, is there a special kind of wood you would prefer?"

Bickslow considered then whispered something in Laxus's ear.

"Cedar or redwood, whichever one is the easiest to get," Laxus replied.

"They sell redwood at the marketplace, I'll pick some up this afternoon," Makarov promised.

"Thank you very much," Freed said. "Do you have any books that I could borrow?"

"It's downstairs. Feel free to help yourself," Freed struck him as the type that would treat books with the reverence that they deserved. "And what about you, Evergreen? Is there anything that you want?"

Evergreen thought about it then nodded. "A fairy!" she chirped.

Makarov blinked then smiled at her. "I'm afraid that I can't get you a real one but how about a doll version instead?"

She looked disappointed but nodded. "Thank you."

"No trouble at all," he smiled warmly at the four of them. His grandson looked thrilled to have some new friends and the others didn't seem to be so bad. Who knows, perhaps one day they might even be the pride of Fairy Tail. "Laxus, it's time for you to head home. I've got some paperwork to do in my office so I'll be here late."

Laxus grumbled but reluctantly made his way out. "Bye, see you tomorrow!" he waved.

"I'll have some food brought up in a minute," Makarov promised them. "Now try and get some rest."

"Food sounds awesome," Bickslow sighed after the door closed.

"We're part of a proper guild," Freed's voice had taken on a lecturing tone.

"And your point is?" Evergreen frowned as she began changing her clothes.

"My point is now that we're part of a real guild we will be expected to take on jobs and earn money."

"Once again what's your point?" Bickslow made sure not to disturb his bandages as he too changed.

Freed let out an exasperated sigh. "The three of us are a team and if we are to represent this guild then we must have a proper name. Preferably one that will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies and represent our devotion to Laxus."

"Devotion?" Bickslow and Evergreen asked as one.

"He is the one who saved us is he not? He also brought us to this guild, thereby giving us an opportunity to earn money so that we could provide for ourselves. He also possesses powerful lightning magic and is a Dragon Slayer. He deserves nothing less than the best."

"Yeah, sure," the other two sweat dropped upon seeing the sparkles surrounding Freed as he spoke.

"You've got a point though," Ever admitted. "I mean, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't be here."

"You're right," Bickslow frowned. "We must serve Laxus as best we can."

"We shall be his personal guards," Freed declared. "We will be the Thunder Legion!"

"The Thunder Legion!" they chorused.

* * *

The next morning found all four of them pouring over a newspaper. It had occurred to Evergreen earlier that once they were fully healed they would no longer have an excuse to stay in the infirmary and would need to find a place to stay. So Laxus had retrieved a newspaper and they were now pursuing the want ads in search of a place. Since there were four of them (Laxus had expressed his interest in moving out of his father's house earlier) that meant they would be able to take on bigger jobs than children of their age normally would and they would be able to afford a halfway decent place. They each had specific requests about what they wanted but the one thing that they could all agree on was that it had to be big enough for them and perhaps some extra room. Bickslow wanted an acrobatic gym after all and Freed would need enough room for all of the books that he planned to collect.

"This one sounds good," Ever pointed out.

"I dunno, it needs an awful lot of work," Laxus frowned. The house was big that was true and the monthly payment was only one hundred thousand jewel. However, it needed a lot of repairs done.

"If you think that looks hard then you should try taking apart an entire circus and then putting it back together," Bickslow grunted as he briefly glanced at the paper before turning his attention back to his carving. It was starting to take the appearance of a totem doll and looked rather impressive.

"I have no problems with physical labor," Freed stated calmly. "Not to mention the fact that the rent goes toward buying the place so that is a plus."

They all had to agree that that was nice.

"There's just one problem," Freed sighed. "We have to have an adult sign off on the lease for us."

"We could ask Gramps," Laxus offered. "He signed off on the place for Mira and her siblings. He does it for all the kids that want to live on their own."

"He doesn't have any darkness in his soul," Bickslow beamed as he looked proudly at the little face he was carving.

"I don't even want to know," Laxus decided.

"I don't have a problem with asking him," Ever tugged at the hem of her dress yet again. It was taking her a little bit to get used to wearing frills again.

"Then it's agreed; Laxus, would you do us the honor?"

"Sure why not?"

* * *

Makarov, as it turned out, had absolutely no problem agreeing to sign off on the lease. He even offered to pay the first month's rent and they could pay him back after they were well enough to take on a job. They would have left immediately but Porlyusica had absolutely forbidden them from taking work for at least a week. She would have preferred two but knew the attitude of Fairy Tail wizards all too well.

Since it was technically a loan and not charity they reluctantly accepted. They made a strange little group, walking through the streets of Magnolia on the way to their new home at the end of the week. A short, old man along with four children, one of whom was wearing a visor and almost all of them wearing some sort of headgear, most of which had been stolen from various guild members including Reedus, and five little floating totem dolls.

"Are we there yet?" one of them whined, Peppe if Makarov remembered correctly.

"Not yet," Freed rugged on the brim of one of Mystogan's spare beanie caps. He hated it but at least it looked better than the witch style hat Bickslow was sporting or the scarf Ever had tied over her head. He really, really couldn't wait until his hair grew back. He then planned to let it grow and to never cut it unless absolutely necessary.

"How much longer?" Pippi asked. Since Bickslow was currently refusing to speak in front of other people the souls within the dolls were acting as his voice. It had certainly creeped out everyone who wasn't a part of their little group. Makarov had just sighed and shaken his head the first time he saw the little dolls.

"Just a few more minutes; it is outside of the town after all, far away from everyone and everything," he wasn't at all surprised that they had chosen a place so isolated. Their faith in humanity had been shattered, quite possibly never to be restored. All they wanted now was to live in peace without having to worry about anyone trying to hurt them again.

"Far away, far away," the dolls chirped.

"Thanks again, Gramps," a small hand slipped into Makarov's much larger one.

"No problem, I'm always glad to help my children out."

"But we're not your kids," Ever frowned.

"Perhaps not by blood," Makarov admitted, "but Fairy Tail is much more than just a guild, it's a family and since I'm the head of it that makes you all my children."

Laxus merely rolled his eyes, he had heard this speech a thousand times so it was nothing new to him. The others, however, were staring at his Grandfather in wonder. They had never anyone talk that way before; their own fathers had spent more time yelling at them than anything else. Declarations of love were virtually unheard of, even before their powers had manifested. Freed was nothing more than an heir, a way for his family's name to continue. Bickslow had been an unexpected burden, robbing the small family of some much needed jewels as his mother had had to take a break from acrobatics. And Ever, dear, sweet Ever had turned her mother to stone and been locked in a tower.

"Well here we are," the group stopped on the outskirts of the forest.

The house was two stories tall and had originally been white but age had turned it a yellowish, moldy color. The porch was sagging and the wood creaked ominously when they stepped on it. The inside wasn't much better; at least two new coats of paint would be required and the floor would have to be sanded down as merely running a hand over it had earned Freed several splinters. On the plus side, the bedrooms were big and the kitchen was a decent size. The house could easily host all four of them with no problem.

"We really need to go on a job and get some money that we can use for repairs," Freed broke the silence, still pulling out splinters.

Bickslow merely pulled a flyer from his pocket and waved it in Freed's face.

"Now when did you visit the request board?" one of Makarov's eyebrows rose. As far as he knew the children hadn't gone downstairs at all during the week they had stayed there.

"An acrobat never reveals his secrets," Pappa giggled as Bickslow stuck out his tongue.

 _They'll definitely fit in, no doubt about that,_ Makarov thought with a smile.

* * *

A/N: Hoped you guys liked this chapter! Please read and review!


	4. Fearsome Reputations

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 4: Fearsome Reputations

It was a lazy fall afternoon at the Fairy Tail guild. The Thunder Legion and Laxus had recently returned from their third mission and were actually hanging around the Guild Hall. Freed was currently in the library, browsing through their massive collection. Evergreen had found a book on mythical creatures and found herself a comfortable chair to sit in, occasionally asking Freed what some of the words meant. Laxus was talking to Makarov while Bickslow sat quietly at one of the tables studiously repainting Puppu who had been scratched up during their battle against a Vulcan on Mt. Hakobe. It had been six months since they joined and Bickslow had yet to say a word to anyone except his team, continuing to use the dolls as his voice.

Natsu Dragneel was a recent addition to the guild, having joined while the Thunder Legion was on a job. Therefore he was understandably curious about the peculiar boy wearing a visor that had parked himself at a table as soon as he arrived and started painting one of the wooden dolls that floated around him.

"Hi, I'm Natsu," he grinned.

There was no answer.

Not the least bit daunted Natsu tried again. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, I'm a fire Dragon Slayer."

The boy paused for a second, the corners of his mouth turning down in a grimace then he resumed his activities.

"Wanna see?"

"Go away," the dolls spoke.

"Oh come on, that's just freaky," Natsu shuddered.

He looked up then, a strange green glint showing behind his visor. For some strange reason the light made Natsu nervous and his stomach twisted.

"Don't call me a freak," the dolls said in unison, a hint of anger in their tone as they also started glowing green.

"Sorry. How about I show you my fire?" Natsu grinned and his hand lit up. Unfortunately he was a little too enthusiastic and caught one of the dolls on fire.

The doll shrieked and began flying around wildly, bumping into its brethren and lighting them on fire as well.

"I'm so sorry, really I am," Natsu did feel a little bad. He hadn't honestly meant to catch the weird little things on fire, he had just wanted to show off and maybe make a new friend.

The boy stood still as Gray froze the dolls. The ice wizard had been about to give Natsu a piece of his mind when the other boy began shaking. His fists were clenched and his entire body was literally shaking in rage.

"How dare you," he whispered.

"Huh?" Natsu blinked at him.

"How dare you," he repeated, his voice full of fury. "How dare you hurt my babies!" the yell reverberated throughout the guild, catching everyone's attention as all activity stopped and all eyes turned their way.

"I said I was sorry!" Natsu yelped, that strange feeling welling up inside of him again. Every instinct he had was currently screaming at him to run, to get as far away from this being in front of him but Natsu resisted. He never ran, never.

"You're going to pay for that," he took off the visor, his eyes glowing bright green as was the weird tattoo on his face.

Natsu screamed. It felt like he was being torn in half, like something vital to his very existence was being taken away from him.

"Bickslow, stop!" Makarov shouted in terror. He and Laxus had been attracted by the shouting and had arrived just in time to catch Bickslow in the act of trying to remove Natsu's soul.

"Stop it!" Freed shouted as he and Evergreen ran into the room.

Suddenly the pain dissipated and Natsu fell to the ground, coughing. He clutched at his chest in a desperate attempt to make sure that everything was still in its proper place.

"What happened here?" Makarov demanded as Bickslow replaced his visor.

Bickslow scowled and crossed his arms. "He-he called me a freak," he mumbled quietly. "And then he hurt my babies!"

"He did what?" Evergreen snarled, an animalistic growl escaping her lips.

Freed's eyes flashed, the right one glowing almost black. "How dare you call a member of the Thunder Legion a freak!"

Lightning began to crackle as Laxus cracked his knuckles. "Hurting poor innocent little souls isn't very nice at all."

"Souls?" Natsu gulped.

"Get him!" Freed shouted and they attacked swiftly and without mercy.

What happened next would forever be remembered as the Fairy Tail Massacre. Any who stood in their way or attempted to defend Natsu was cut down swiftly and without mercy. The villain himself wound up in the infirmary for a full month, almost every single bone in his body broken. During that time his dreams were filled with visions of four monsters, their eyes glowing and for the next two months, whenever there was a thunderstorm, he shivered and shuddered and hid under a piece of furniture, whispering his apologies.

* * *

The Thunder Legion left immediately after the fight, Bickslow carefully carrying the charred and frostbitten remains of his precious babies. He kept his head down, refusing to meet his friends' gazes. Freed was still bristling with anger but struggled to keep it under control. How dare someone say that to his friend's face?! Thanks to the type of magic that he used Bickslow was already considered strange, the dolls didn't help matters any and his silence for these past six months had further complicated things. He couldn't be blamed for his eccentricities though; they all had them, one way or another. Just because someone was different that didn't mean they should be punished for it, people like Natsu and the others were the reason why they didn't hang out at the guild very often, usually only putting in an appearance to accept job requests or if Laxus specifically asked them to. But no more, if this was how they were going to be treated then they would simply have to limit their visits even more. Freed refused to associate with people that treated the boy who had become a brother to him as a freak.

"Don't worry, Bickslow, I still think you're cool," Evergreen smiled up at him.

There was no response save his shoulders hunching even more and his arms tightening around the dolls.

"Natsu's just an ass and we kicked it all over the place," Laxus attempted to reassure him.

Bickslow's mouth twitched slightly but he remained silent.

The other three exchanged glances and shrugged helplessly. What else could they do? Choosing to remain silent they instead closed ranks, protecting their silent friend from the questioning looks of the townspeople as they walked home.

Once they had arrived at their destination Bickslow fled to his room and curled up on the bed, still clutching the babies. Normally he would have taken off the visor the second they returned home but right now all he wanted to do was hide the tears that were slowly but surely welling up in his eyes. Why did people always have to be so mean? It wasn't like he asked to be weird, it's just how he was. He didn't ask to be born with the ability to see and control souls or the weird mark on his face. He didn't ask for any of it. He sniffed and buried his face into the dolls.

The souls were worried and tried whispering reassurances through their mental link. They had no idea what to do, how they were supposed to comfort the young boy. They were just souls and even though they had physical bodies they were still extremely limited as to what they could do. They were therefore relieved when the door opened and Freed cautiously slipped inside.

"Bickslow?" when he received no answer he walked over to the bed and looked sadly down at his friend.

"Go away," Poppo and Pippi whispered, no doubt repeating what Bickslow wanted them to say.

"Stay, stay," the other three chanted.

Freed smiled and sat down on the bed, pulling Bickslow's head into his lap. "Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere," he said gently as he removed the hood and visor. He ignored the tears trickling down Bickslow's face and instead began stroking the blue and black hair.

Bickslow considered struggling but ultimately decided against it. It…felt nice just like it had back in the cells, of course having hair only enhanced the feeling. He couldn't remember, had anyone ever done this before he met Freed and Evergreen?

" _Look at that boy, his hair's so strange."_

" _I've never seen hair like that; it can't be natural."_

" _I heard he was born with it, surely only a monster would have hair like that."_

" _You've been nothing but a curse since the day you were born! Causing your mother and me problems all these years, killing her was just the icing on the cake! Only a monster would kill their own mother!"_

" _Quite the little monster we've got here."_

" _He's a freaky child."_

" _That mark on his face is freaking me out."_

" _Maybe if we remove it he won't look so weird."_

"Freak, monster, freak, monster," the dolls began chanting.

"You're not a freak or a monster," Freed hissed angrily.

"Then what am I?"

"You're Bickslow," Freed said simply. "You're eccentric, that's true but who in Fairy Tail isn't? There's nothing wrong with that at all."

"Then why do people always say those awful things?" Bickslow whispered.

"I really don't know. Tell you what, when we take over the world we'll outlaw those words okay?"

"That sounds nice."

The two sat in silence for a while, Freed stroking Bickslow's hair as the latter's tears slowed then finally stopped. Bickslow was considering drifting off when he felt something tugging at his feet. He turned to see Evergreen and Laxus attempting to remove his boots.

"You're going to get mud all over your bed," Ever explained as she finally succeeded in removing one of the boots just as Laxus got the other one.

"I'm sorry about what happened," Laxus's words and voice were sincere as he helped Evergreen onto the bed.

"It's not your fault, it's mine. If I wasn't so weird…"

"But you wouldn't be Bickslow if you weren't a little weird!" Evergreen protested vehemently.

"Weird, weird," the dolls chanted.

"You could always embrace the weirdness," Laxus suggested. "Go completely over the top and all that."

"But it wouldn't make them stop saying mean things about me," Bickslow frowned.

"No but you could weird them out so much that they would be scared of you and leave you alone," Freed pointed out.

The suggestion was mulled over in Bickslow's head. He didn't want people to be scared of him but they already were in a way and if it meant that they would leave him alone then he supposed that it might be worth it. "That does sound like a good idea," he admitted.

"And no more hanging out at the Guild Hall," Freed added.

"That's fine with me," Bickslow shrugged as best he could.

"We're going to have to go in tomorrow and talk to Gramps," Laxus wrinkled his nose. "I guarantee he's not going to be happy about what we did."

"Are we going to get kicked out?" Ever was only a little worried, sure she liked the name of the guild but the boys were more important to her.

"I don't think so," Laxus didn't sound very sure of himself.

"We can think about that tomorrow, right now we need to get some rest," logic and concern were both part of the reasons why Freed had made the suggestion. Crying always exhausted Bickslow and indeed the older boy was already starting to drift off.

"Sleep," the babies echoed, sounding slightly drowsy.

Ever yawned and curled up against Bickslow's stomach while Laxus lay on the other side of their friend. Freed did not abandon his post, however, and eventually fell asleep still sitting up though he did fall over halfway through the night, his head resting on Laxus's.

* * *

The next morning, when the doors opened and Laxus entered, followed by the Thunder Legion, silence fell over the room as everyone stopped talking. Those who had been injured in yesterday's battle flinched and tried to stay out of sight.

"Ah there you are, I was wondering when you kids would show up," Makarov sat in his usual spot, looking a bit grim.

"We will not apologize for our actions but we will receive whatever punishment you think is best," Freed's voice and posture were formal and he did his best to keep his face neutral.

Makarov let out a loud sigh and hopped off the bar. "If I really wanted to punish you kids I would make you spend all of your free time here but that would just lead to more situations like yesterday. You overreacted a little, there's no doubt about that but Natsu is also at fault. However, I think he has been punished enough don't you?" without even waiting for an answer he continued speaking. "I can certainly understand why you reacted that way though so I have decided that your punishment will be…"

As Makarov paused dramatically for greater effect, the four kids tensed, each waiting to find out whether or not they would be allowed to stay in the guild.

"You'll have to help Porlyusica out for the day," he grinned then began to laugh.

"Are you sure she'll accept our help?" Freed distinctly remembered how much the woman had seemed to detest humans.

"I liked her," Bickslow announced. "She was really nice."

Makarov gaped at the boy. He thought Porlyusica was nice? Wonders never ceased. "She lives about three miles past your place, Laxus knows exactly where."

"She's a scary witch," Ever hissed as they left the Guild Hall.

"Nothing," Bickslow said grandly, "is scarier than a sword swallower whose missing swords are in the bearded lady's tent."

"I don't think I want to know," Laxus decided.

"It wasn't pretty," the acrobat shuddered theatrically. "It took forever to clean up all the blood."

"Remind me to never live in a circus," Freed quipped.

* * *

"What are you kids doing here?" Porlyusica demanded the instant she opened the door.

"Greetings, Miss Porlyusica," Freed bowed. "Master Makarov has instructed us to help you for the day."

"And why would the old fool do that?" she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"We beat up some kid so we're getting punished for it," Laxus told her.

"Please don't eat me!" Evergreen wailed.

To their immense surprise Porlyusica smiled. "Contrary to popular opinion I don't eat children although I have been known to make an exception once or twice."

For a moment they just stared at her then Bickslow grinned. "See? She's not scary at all."

"Remind me to never ask what you actually find scary," Freed sighed.

Porlyusica let out a laugh then stepped out of the doorway. "Well come on in, I've got a ton of things that need to be done so you might as well get started."

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused and entered her hut.

"Makarov, you old fool, I sure hope you know what you're doing," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Makarov sneezed then took another drink of his alcohol. "Someone must be talking about me," he decided. As he sat there, drinking he thought some more about his decision. The kids had gone more than a little overboard when fighting Natsu but, as he had told them, he understand why though and he did intend to have a chat with the new boy to make sure that he understood why calling people "freaks" was a bad idea. Hopefully he had learned his lesson but he seemed to be one of those rare people who gave a new meaning to the word dense.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review!


	5. Misadventures in Cooking

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 5: Misadventures in Cooking

It was a quiet afternoon in the Thunder Legion home. Freed was currently sitting on the ground outside, a book next to him as he worked on placing more protective runes around the building. Evergreen was in her room playing with her fairy dolls since Laxus was off visiting his father. Bickslow was well, sneaking was the proper term although one did not usually sneak while walking on one's hands. As to why the acrobat was sneaking around well that was rather simple. He had come across a cookbook recently and decided that he wanted to try making something for his family but he wanted it to be a surprise so he had waited until they were all otherwise occupied. Not to mention there was the slight fact that he had just a little bit of trouble reading. He could still make out the words, it just took him a lot longer than it did most people and he didn't want to be teased for something that the others seemed to have no trouble doing.

Once he arrived at his destination he performed a forward flip, returning to standing on his feet. The babies put the cookbook on the counter for him while he started pulling ingredients out of the fridge. After everything had been assembled it was time to begin mixing the ingredients, a task he eagerly devoted himself to. Then came the easy part (or so Bickslow assumed); actually cooking everything.

He squinted at the book then held it as far away as he could. Satisfied that he had managed to decipher the next instructions he then set about carrying them out. Soon the majority of the food was in the oven while the rest sat on the top. Bickslow hummed as he stirred the soup, happy that he could do something to make up for them getting in trouble with the Master. They had been allowed to stay but he still felt bad for all the trouble he had inadvertently caused.

Just then the soup caught on fire and he let out a surprised yelp. Smoke started coming from inside the oven forcing him to run around madly in an attempt to stop the fires.

* * *

Evergreen was happily playing in her room when the smell of smoke assaulted her nostrils. "Huh?" she looked up and shrieked when she saw the smoke drifting through her door. Hurriedly she threw open the window and yelled, "Freed! The house is on fire!"

Startled Freed looked up from his enchantments and dropped his pen in shock. Evergreen ran across the lawn, still clutching her dolls as smoke billowed from her window. "Where's Bickslow?" he demanded as he stood up.

"I don't know," Ever wailed, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "He said he had something to do in his room but I haven't seen him for the past hour."

"I'll go look for him," Freed promised. "You stay here until I tell you that it's safe, all right?"

"Okay," Ever nodded. She wanted to go look for Bickslow too but was smart enough to know that she would just get in the way. "Be careful," she called after him.

As he entered the smoky residence Freed covered his mouth and nose with his arm, a stray cough still escaping him. "Bickslow? Bickslow, where are you?" Up ahead he could hear the distinct sound of cursing and hurried his pace. "Bickslow?"

Freed flung open the door to the kitchen then stopped and simply stared. Words failed him as he stared at the mess in front of him. The door to the oven was open and smoke poured out of it. There was a pot on top of the stove that had boiled over and was currently on fire. Bickslow ran around like a madman, desperately trying to contain the mess.

Freed cleared his throat and crossed his arms, a stern look on his face. "And just what do you think that you're doing?"

Bickslow spun around, a panicked look on his face. "Freed? What are you doing here?"

"Evergreen thought the house was on fire and was therefore worried when she couldn't find you."

Bickslow winced and looked down at his feet. "I didn't mean to worry her," he muttered. "I was just trying to make dinner for everyone and it got out of control."

"I can see that," Freed sighed. "First rule of kitchen fires, never pour water on it because it just makes it worse. Salt's the best thing to use."

"Good to know," Bickslow nodded as he grabbed the salt shaker.

It wasn't long before the fires were out and the windows opened to air out the place. Freed, meanwhile, had found the cookbook and was looking at the recipe, trying to identify where exactly things had gone wrong. Suddenly he frowned then looked at the remains of what had originally been meant as soup.

"Bickslow," he said slowly. "What did you put in there?"

"This vegetable oil," Bickslow blinked as he held up the bottle for inspection.

Freed paled and thanked his lucky stars that it had gone up in flames before he had been forced to eat it. "That's not vegetable oil, Bickslow, that's magical motor oil for a magic mobile. I'm not entirely sure why it's in the kitchen but it's not for cooking."

Bickslow frowned then squinted at the label. "Are you sure it's not vegetable oil?"

Understanding clicked as everything suddenly fell into place. "Bickslow," his tone was gentle. "Do you have trouble reading?"

"Why on earth would you think that?" Bickslow's laugh was nervous.

"Think that?" the babies echoed as they flew in and out the window.

"You put motor oil in the soup instead of vegetable oil. That alone seems to indicate that there is a problem. It's nothing to be ashamed of, lots of people have trouble reading but…"

"Are you guys okay?" Laxus burst into the kitchen, Ever on his heels.

"We're all fine, it was nothing more than a simple cooking mishap," Freed explained.

"Sorry," Bickslow winced. "I just wanted to do something nice for you guys."

"Don't worry; Gramps is a terrible cook too," Laxus smiled.

"Let's just get this place cleaned up and then we'll see what we can do about dinner," Freed felt slightly daunted by the task ahead then suddenly remembered something. "Laxus, do you know anything about this?" he held up the motor oil.

"I was supposed to give that to Dad but I came in here to get a snack and then I forgot all about it," he laughed nervously. "No harm done though right?"

"See, it's not completely your fault," Freed told Bickslow. "Laxus is just as much to blame for this fiasco and we will be discussing reading lessons tomorrow."

* * *

Dinner was a rather simple affair, sandwiches and lemonade as they sat outside, the kitchen still too smoky to eat in. Afterwards they all retreated to their rooms, Freed having put up smoke blocking runes in the doorways so they could sleep without having to worry about smoke inhalation.

Bickslow lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling as the babies settled into comfortable spots around him. Fortunately the fire had been a small one and easily contained, but still. The others could have been seriously hurt and their house burned down. Evergreen was fortunate the window in her room wasn't still painted shut like it had been when they first moved in or she could have been trapped with no way out and Bickslow could have burned to death in the kitchen, all because he had been too ashamed to admit that he had trouble reading. It was all his fault. With those words and images in his mind he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Freed was startled out of a sound sleep by a large weight falling on top of him. He opened his eyes and was just barely able to make out Bickslow's tear stained face inches from his own. "Bickslow?" he murmured sleepily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burn you alive!"

"Huh?" Freed blinked in confusion.

"Burn you alive, burn you alive," the babies chanted.

"It was just a dream, we're all alive, I assure you," Freed refused to admit that he too had had a smoke-filled dream before falling deeper into sleep.

"I really am sorry, I didn't mean to set anything on fire. I really did think that was vegetable oil," he whispered.

"They're the same color so I can understand the confusion and I meant what I said; I'll help you with your reading later."

"Thank you."

The two boys lay in silence for a while, the babies finding themselves new positions.

"Freed?"

"Yes, Bickslow?"

"Can I stay in here for the rest of the night?"

"Of course you can."

* * *

After they had eaten breakfast Freed grabbed a few books and settled Bickslow and himself at the kitchen table.

"I suppose the best way to start this lesson is to find out what exactly you're having trouble with," Freed said.

Bickslow frowned as he turned slightly red. "Nothing makes any sense; all the letters are in the wrong places and the same thing with the numbers. The order that they're in makes no sense to me."

"Hmm," Freed furrowed his brow then grabbed one of his big textbooks and began flipping through it. "It seems as though you have a learning disability, most likely dyslexia."

"Is there a cure for it?" Bickslow was torn between being relieved that he wasn't just stupid and sadness at the realization that not only was he weird but he also had a disability. Life really and truly sucked sometimes.

"Not really," despite the fact that it wasn't his fault Freed still felt bad that he couldn't whip out his pen and write a rune to fix it. "But I should still be able to help you a little bit."

"How so?" Bickslow was curious but not overly surprised at the fact that Freed was able to come up with an idea, he was the smartest one of the group after all.

"While I can't stop you from seeing the letters in the wrong places one thing you can do is come up with a list of words with the same letters and choose the one that best fits the context. It'll take you awhile before you can do it automatically so we'll just have to train you to do it."

Bickslow blinked. "Huh?"

* * *

"Tell me again why we're leaving random sentences on paper around the house," Laxus raised an eyebrow. He had quickly learned that when he asked or demanded something the other three would jump to do his bidding to the best of their ability.

"To help Bickslow with his reading," Freed said patiently.

"I don't have any trouble reading," Ever pointed out. "So why does he?"

"Because his brain works differently than yours," Freed explained for at least the tenth time that day. "And no I don't know why it does."

Ever pouted but she did nod her agreement. If her big brother needed her help then she was more than willing to lend her aid.

"Okay," Laxus shrugged.

Freed smiled happily then passed out the strips of paper. He had taken the liberty of finding random sentences in his books and written them down so as to make things easier for the other two. Unfortunately Freed hadn't taken into account the fact that he was on a completely different reading level than all of the other children in the house and that they would have trouble simply understanding them. He quickly discovered his error later that afternoon when poor Bickslow was nearly in tears because he had never seen the word 'egregious'. He then spent another hour writing out simpler words which did work better in the long run.

A week later, after they had returned from another job, Bickslow tried his hand at cooking again. This time, however, Laxus personally supervised the project and translated any part of the cookbook that he was still having trouble deciphering. The end result was surprisingly delicious and it was decided that, once his reading had improved, Bickslow would allowed free reign in the kitchen and that Evergreen (who had attempted to help) would not be allowed back in without supervision.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter was shorter than the others but the next one should be longer. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review and don't hesitate to let me know if you want to see something!


	6. Merry Christmas!

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 6: Merry Christmas!

The holidays snuck up rather quickly on the children. Both Halloween and Thanksgiving had been spent working so they were therefore unprepared when they returned to Magnolia after such a long absence only to find the shops covered in lights and peculiar decorations on the streets.

"What's going on?" Ever asked, her eyes wide in amazement as she took in the sights.

"It's Christmas time," Laxus explained.

"What?" Freed and Bickslow yelped simultaneously.

"Why didn't you tell us? Now I have to go find presents," Bickslow groaned.

"What's Christmas?"

At the question they all turned to look at the little girl, curiosity all over her face.

"I should have anticipated this," Freed sighed. "Christmas is a holiday, the most popular one of them all. Technically it's to celebrate the birth of a baby…"

Bickslow let out another groan. At this rate they were still going to be here on Christmas day, especially if Freed felt obligated to explain the different religions and their varying approaches to the season. "It's about presents," he interrupted, ignoring the dark look Freed was now giving him. "Santa comes down the chimney and leaves gifts under the tree for all the good little kids. The religion stuff is just to make people feel better about themselves."

Ever blinked as she mulled things over for a moment. "I never got presents; does that mean I'm bad?" to their horror her eyes began to well up and her bottom lip started quivering.

"Of course not," Freed soothed. "You've a very good little girl."

"But I turned my mother to stone."

"Look your dad was probably real mad about that even though it was an accident so he most likely lied to Santa about you," Bickslow's tone was confident.

"Oh," Ever nodded in understanding. That made excellent sense in her eight-year-old mind.

"In any case, since we just got some more money we should probably split up and buy our presents," Freed was still a little put out that his explanation had been interrupted but decided to try and forgot about it for now.

"If Santa's gonna bring us our presents then why do we have to buy them?" Ever asked. Then something occurred to her and she looked horrified. "We don't have a chimney or a tree," she wailed.

"He can come through the front door, magic runes don't affect him and we'll get a tree tomorrow," Laxus promised. "And then we'll need to write our letters to Santa to tell him what we want."

"But why do we buy presents?" Ever was still confused.

"Because it's fun," Bickslow explained.

"Fun, fun," the babies chirped.

"Okay," Ever shrugged. Fun was something she could live with.

The children then split up or rather, they tried to split up but inevitably wound up meeting at the entrance to the toy store.

"This is not going to work," Freed sighed.

"Nope," Pappa laughed.

"How about we just pretend that we don't see anything," Laxus suggested.

"Not a thing," Pippi chirped.

The other three dolls chose that moment to break out in a rousing chorus of Jingle Bells.

"Let's just get this over with," Freed pushed open the door and they entered the shop.

The shopping had been interesting that was for sure. After the toy store had come the bookstore and then a department store to buy wrapping paper and tape. Then it was off to the house where they barricaded themselves in their rooms.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast they put on their coats and boots then went out to go look for a tree.

"So what does a Christmas tree look like?" Ever asked. Despite the fact that she had never heard of Christmas before she could feel excitement coursing through her veins.

"It's really big," Laxus attempted to demonstrate with his arms but only succeeded in hitting Poppo who was still singing Christmas carols.

"Like that?" Ever pointed to the tree in front of her. It easily towered over the three children and was quite possibly the tallest tree in the entire forest.

"Not quite that big," Freed sweat dropped at the mere thought of trying to cut down such an enormous tree, let alone carrying it back to the house.

"It has to be able to fit in the house, like that one," Bickslow pointed to one that was several feet shorter.

"That one looks like it'll do splendidly," Freed nodded in approval.

"So how are we going to cut it down?" Laxus asked.

They simultaneously groaned at the realization that, during their attempt to educate Evergreen on the fundamentals on Christmas, they had forgotten to bring an ax or anything that they could use to actually cut the tree.

"I've got it," Laxus snapped his fingers. "I'll use my lightning to cut down the tree!"

"Wait!" Freed cried but it was too late; Laxus had already sent a bolt of lightning toward the tree. What the Dragon Slayer hadn't considered was the fact that it hadn't rained recently and so the trees were all dry and a bit brittle and so when the lightning hit the trees caught on fire.

"Uh-oh," Bickslow winced.

Freed whipped out his pen and began writing runes as fast as he could. After a few seconds the burning trees were trapped within the rune where they would stay until the flames had gone out. The young mage let out a sigh of relief then turned to glare at Laxus. "Let's not use your lightening to do that again."

"Sorry," Laxus apologized, looking slightly abashed.

"Well why don't we use my babies?" Bickslow suggested. "They don't catch things on fire."

"Fire," they chirped.

"That's actually a good idea," Freed agreed.

"All right, babies, its show time!"

"Showtime." The babies flew so that they were on top of each other then tilted to the side before firing. The green beam shot through the base of the tree, toppling it over. "All done."

"Now all that's left is for you guys to carry it home!" Ever declared.

"Why do we have to carry it?" Laxus complained.

"Because I'm a girl and girls don't do heavy lifting," Ever tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

The three boys stared at her, appalled.

"That's not fair," Bickslow grumbled.

"Not fair," his babies echoed.

"That's not how it works," Freed tried to reason with her but Ever wasn't budging. Sure she wanted presents and a tree but she saw no reason for her to get dirty in order to get those things.

"Can you guys carry it?" Bickslow asked his dolls.

They considered his request then replied, "Sure."

"The babies will carry it," Bickslow informed them. "We just need to lift it on them."

Even with the babies help it still took them the better part of an hour to get the tree to the house where they managed to wrestle it into a corner.

"It's not very pretty," Ever frowned.

"Don't worry, we'll make some decorations to put on it," Laxus assured her.

"Like what?"

"Popcorn balls and angels and stuff like that."

"Okay," Ever nodded. Laxus did seem to be the expert in these matters so she would trust him.

"Next year we'll go all out," Freed said as he headed into the kitchen to see if they had the ingredients for popcorn balls.

"Bickslow?"

"What is it, Ever?"

"How do you make angels?" if anyone would know how to make something like that then Bickslow would. He was totally awesome when it came to things like sewing seeing as how he had made his costume all by himself.

"That takes a while to learn," he admitted. "But don't worry; I've got some cloth dolls that I made that we can use instead. It doesn't have to be angels, that's just what most people use."

"Did your family use angels?" she asked curiously.

Bickslow wrinkled his nose in concentration then shook his head. "We just had a really small tree and Mom would put some garland on it and that was it. We didn't really have time to make ornaments or money to buy them so we didn't do much."

"Do much," the babies flew around his head.

Ever tilted her head to the side then laughed. "The babies make it look like you've got a halo around your head so you must be an angel."

"I can honestly say I've never been called that before," Bickslow blinked.

"Angel," Puppu sounded rather gleeful while the others made a strange giggling sound.

"Knock it off," there was no real heat in Bickslow's voice so they ignored him.

* * *

As the week progressed Evergreen became even more excited. They had spent a whole day making decorations for the tree then they had written their letters to Santa and given them to Master Makarov so he could deliver them. For some reason he had seemed surprised that Laxus and Bickslow had written letters as well but had promised to make sure that Santa received them.

Christmas Eve was a blast; Bickslow made hot chocolate and cookies and they stayed up late to open their stockings. They were stuffed with candy and they each had an orange in the toe. Ever had been slightly disappointed by the presence of the fruit but, as Freed had explained it, Santa had to give them something healthy to keep their teeth from rotting and falling out.

They finally fell asleep in front of the roaring fireplace a little before midnight. At some point during the night Ever woke up, her eyes still bleary. She thought she saw something moving and squinted, finally managing to make out a figure in red carefully placing boxes underneath the tree.

"Santa?" she whispered.

Startled the figure spun around. "Ho ho little Evergreen. What are you doing up? You're supposed to be asleep after all."

"You sound an awful lot like Master Makarov," she accused.

He laughed again and he definitely sounded nervous. "Don't be ridiculous, little girl. Makarov and I are friends but that's all. He's at home, sound asleep waiting to see his grandson tomorrow."

Evergreen was still suspicious but decided not to press the issue. If this really was the real Santa then she didn't want to risk making him mad, just in case he took away the presents. "If you say so," she yawned. "Good night."

"Good night."

Ever woke up the next morning to the excited shrieks of Bickslow and Laxus and the more subdued exclamations from Freed. She sat up and soon added her own shrill cries to the ruckus. The presents were passed out and the wrapping paper had soon been ripped to shreds.

"All right," Bickslow whooped. "I got the new carving knife that I wanted."

"The book on lost magic's that I asked for," Freed seemed delighted, if his smile was any indication.

Laxus didn't say anything, he merely smiled and put on his new headphones, testing out the sound quality.

"I got a fairy!" Ever cried joyfully, holding up the pretty doll which oddly resembled her if one looked close enough. "And look she's even got a crown! That means she's the queen."

"Actually the correct term is Titania," Freed informed her.

Ever thought about it then nodded. "That sounds way cooler," she decided. "And one day I'll be the Fairy Queen."

"You'll make a good queen," Bickslow smiled.

* * *

Porlyusica took a deep breath as she walked through the forest. There was nothing she loved more than taking a walk through her beloved forest, content in the knowledge that she wouldn't run into anyone else. She was therefore understandably shocked when she caught sight of the burnt, blackened trees directly in front of her. Her eye began to twitch and she let out a loud shriek, "Makarov! I'm going to kill you and your idiot grandson!"

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! The next chapter will be about them when they're preteens and I'll probably just skip to teens for a few chapters then they'll be adults. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	7. Puberty

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 7: Puberty

Evergreen was eleven when Mother Nature decided that it was time to make her presence known. The morning had been relatively quiet so when a shrill scream split the air it was completely understandable that everyone was startled. Laxus yanked off his headphones and ran into Ever's room, closely followed by Bickslow and Freed.

"What's wrong?" Laxus demanded then held his nose. The stench of blood and terror was overpowering.

"I'm dying," Ever wailed, clutching at her stomach.

"How so?" Freed asked gently.

Instead of replying she merely pulled back the covers, revealing that her nightgown was covered in blood.

"Oh dear," Freed swayed, feeling slightly sick.

"I'll go get Porlyusica!" Bickslow rushed out of the room.

"Wait," Laxus called after him but the slamming of the front door indicated that Bickslow was already gone. "I don't think you're dying, Ever. I mean, all the other girls at the guild smell like blood sometimes but I could be wrong."

The tears had slowed at the beginning of Laxus's speech but they quickly started back up with a vengeance. Freed gave his leader a dark look then handed Ever a handkerchief.

* * *

Porlyusica's morning had been like all her other mornings; quiet and human-free. The sound of knocking earned her poor door a murderous glare as she stomped over and yanked it open. "What do you want?" she snarled.

"You gotta come quick; Ever's dying!" Bickslow panted as he leaned against her doorframe.

"Dying," his dolls echoed.

"What are her symptoms?"

"She's bleeding and she was holding her stomach," Bickslow reported.

Porlyusica paused in the middle of packing her medical bag. She groaned quietly and turned to face the worried boy. "She's not dying, in fact she's growing up."

"Growing up?" Bickslow looked rather confused. When he had started 'growing up' he had merely shot up a good seven inches and began spouting little hairs on his face that itched dreadfully unless he shaved them. He had most certainly not bled!

"Girls grow up differently than boys," Porlyusica explained as she grabbed her bag. "Now let's get going, I'd like to be back in time for lunch."

Evergreen was reasonably calm when Porlyusica finally arrived. "Eat this," the healer held out a handful of herbs which were quickly devoured. "It should help with the stomach cramps and these," she handed Ever what looked like white squares of paper and whispered the rest of the instructions in her ear. Ever blushed and nodded then disappeared into the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes.

Porlyusica then turned to the three boys who were all watching her with wide eyes, although Laxus was attempting to look indifferent. "Sit," she ordered and they complied. "Evergreen is going through what's known as puberty. As I've already explained to Bickslow it happens differently for girls."

"Why?" Bickslow interrupted.

"I would assume it has something to do with the fact that women can give birth and we cannot," Freed attempted to explain.

"Stop interrupting me!" at her yell the boys looked properly chagrined and fell silent. "You are correct though, this means that Evergreen's body is now ready to bear children."

"Evergreen's gonna have babies?" Bickslow looked silently horrified at the thought. Visions of them going on jobs only to stop halfway through fighting the bad guys just so Ever could change a diaper flitted through his head.

"I think there's more to it than though," Freed also looked pained, having had a similar vision.

"There's no way that I'm explaining that to you, go to the bookstore if you're really curious," Porlyusica declared. If Makarov wanted them to know about sex then he could explain it, not her. "I'm going back home now. If you have any more questions ask the old fool. You'll want to get some chocolate though, lots of it."

"Maybe we should go the bookstore," Bickslow suggested after the healer had left.

"That's a very good idea," Freed nodded in approval.

"The two of you can go, I'll stay here and keep an eye on Ever," Laxus offered.

"Thank you," Freed nodded then him and Bickslow left.

* * *

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Bickslow asked as he hovered behind Freed, the latter browsing through the vast selection of books.

"I'll know it when it see it," Freed replied.

"Smart," the babies cooed from their perches on Bickslow.

"You do know people are staring," Freed grabbed a book, flipped through it then put it back.

"Why do I care?" Bickslow shrugged. "Besides, you know that since the babies and I are soul-linked we can't be more than a mile apart at any time."

"I know," Freed sighed as he rejected yet another book.

"So does mean that Ever's going to get as tall as me?"

"I highly doubt that," in all honesty Freed doubted that he would ever be as tall as Bickslow. His growth spurt wasn't due for a while but since his parents hadn't been very tall he didn't have very high ambitions for himself. Laxus hadn't grown at all in the past year and he was just barely even with the acrobat.

"Why not?"

"Women are generally shorter than men, it has something to do with their bone structure but I don't know enough about it to properly explain it to you."

Bickslow pouted but quickly began amusing himself by performing acrobatics in the aisle. Freed sighed and began browsing faster, knowing that at any second the bookstore owner would ask them to leave, again. The only reason that they hadn't been outright banned was because Freed was one of his best customers and Bickslow was too nimble to actually break anything.

Freed was lucky, however, and had managed to find a few books before they were kicked out then they headed to the candy store to get Evergreen some chocolate.

"Find anything?" Laxus asked when they walked back inside the house.

"A few things but we were asked to leave before I could get anything else."

"I get bored okay? And I said I was sorry," Bickslow sulked.

"I don't know why you keep taking him," Laxus shook his head in amusement.

"Manual labor," Freed quipped, taking the books from the seith mage.

"Hey, Ever, we got some books and chocolate!" Bickslow called.

"Chocolate?" Ever all but ran into the room, her eyes bright as she snatched the package from the tall boy.

"And books," Freed reminded her as he sat on the couch next to Laxus.

"Books are boring," Bickslow perched on the back of the couch so that he could see over Freed's shoulder.

"Boring," the dolls agreed.

Freed rolled his eyes but didn't comment. While Bickslow's reading had improved the older boy still didn't like to read as he still had difficulty with some of the words. "These books will explain in more detail what exactly is happening to your body and how you can adjust to it."

Ever looked confused but nodded and claimed the seat next to Freed, eating the chocolate and snarling at Bickslow when he tried to steal a piece.

"Now, according to this the reason that you're bleeding and in pain is because," Freed stopped reading and turned a peculiar green color. "That is too much detail and entirely disgusting."

"Let me see," Laxus grabbed the book from Freed's unprotesting hands. "That's just sick. Apparently, Ever, you've got some kind of microscopic eggs inside of you and when it's time to get rid of them you start bleeding."

"Eggs?" Bickslow cocked his head to the side as he considered the girl. "Girls lay eggs?"

"No they don't," Freed sighed. "Once the eggs are fertilized then they start growing into a baby."

"So how do they get fertilized?" Ever asked curiously after they had digested the information.

"I'm not entirely sure," Freed admitted. "However, the answer may be in this book, it discusses what happens to boys when they go through puberty."

The next thirty minutes were some of the most embarrassing minutes Evergreen had ever suffered through and that included the time she had walked in on Laxus…enjoying himself in the shower. Once the discussion was over she looked at the red-faced boys and declared, "I'm never having children."

"Thank you," Bickslow hugged her. "We've already got my babies, we don't need anymore."

"Got us," the babies affectionately bumped into her. Since they couldn't actually hug anyone they had devised a way around it, namely gently bumping into people.

"You're definitely a handful," Ever smiled at them, patting each one of them, eliciting gentle coos.

"Gramps certainly didn't mention any of that," Laxus grumbled. "He just started talking about birds and bees."

"The reason for that is simple," Freed perked up a little. "You see the relationship between the birds and the bees is a rather good analogy because…"

* * *

A/N: In case any of you think this chapter is gross or in poor taste the reason I included it is simple; three guys and one girl? A situation like this was bound to arise at some point and, quite frankly, considering the amount of graphic sex stories on this site this seems a lot less…disgusting to me besides I kept the details to a minimum. The next chapter should be longer but I'm not making any promises. Hope you guys liked. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	8. Freed's Nervous Breakdown

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 8: Freed's Nervous Breakdown

Twitch. Freed sat in the middle of his bed. Twitch. He carefully picked at the fingers on his left hand. Twitch. He began picking at his right hand. Twitch. He noticed a thread on his red jacket and worked on extracting it. Twitch. Another thread caught his attention. Twitch. Oh dear, there seemed to be lint on his pants. Twitch. Why were his fingers bleeding? Twitch. That's right, he had been picking at them earlier. Twitch. There were voices outside his bedroom door. Twitch. He raised his head and the noises stopped. Twitch. That was nice, silence was always enjoyable. Twitch. Had he been in his room all day? Twitch. He vaguely remembered seeing the others earlier but for some reason he didn't care about anything. Twitch. Anything at all. Twitch. What time was it anyways? Twitch. Why was he sitting in here by himself? Twitch. Why wasn't he spending time with his family? Twitch. They had angered him, hadn't they? Twitch. He couldn't remember what they had done though. Twitch. There seemed to be something in his hair. Twitch. It felt…stiff and hard now but he was certain it had been wet and sticky earlier. Twitch.

"Freed?" the voice sounded cautious and unsure, something it had never been before.

Twitch.

"Are you okay?"

Twitch.

"Freed," the five voices sounded sad and worried, like the one before them.

Twitch.

"Your face is still doing that thing where it's twitching and it's kinda weird cuz it's just the one side that's doing it."

Twitch.

"Is he still twitching?" a girl was talking now.

Twitch.

"Yep," six voices chorused.

Twitch.

"It's creepy," a new voice complained. It was a voice that commanded respect, that demanded an answer but he couldn't find it within himself to care.

Twitch.

"Should we get Porlyusica?"

Twitch.

"I don't think even she can help him."

Twitch.

"I've got an idea!" the first voice was cheerful again, like it was supposed to be.

Twitch.

"I don't think so. We can't risk him getting any worse."

Twitch.

"I don't think it's possible he can get any worse. Can he?"

Twitch.

"Just hurry it up, Bickslow," the tone was resigned.

Twitch.

"On it," there was the sound of feet scurrying and then there was blessed silence once more.

Twitch. Vague remnants of images were starting to make themselves known. Twitch. There had been a food fight, started by Ever if he was not mistaken. Twitch. Bickslow had thrown yogurt at Laxus and, in an attempt to protect their leader, Freed had jumped in the way and was rewarded for his efforts by the yogurt landing in his green hair. Twitch. He had just finished washing out the yogurt and returned to the kitchen when the babies had crashed into him, knocking him to the floor where he landed face first in the remains of Ever's breakfast that was supposed to have been cleaned up while he was taking a shower. Twitch. He had therefore been forced to take his second shower of the day and had chosen to avoid the kitchen altogether, planning to seek refuge in the living room. Twitch. Unfortunately, he had been thwarted by Bickslow, who was practicing his upside down balancing act in the doorway. Twitch. The acrobat had also been drinking some kind of fruit smoothie (oddly enough he was rather fond of those) and there had been a collision between Freed and the drink. Twitch. The smoothie had wound up in Freed's long hair and Bickslow had immediately started offering his apologies. Twitch. Instead of growing angry as he had originally thought he would a strange calm had descended upon him. Twitch. Freed had calmly turned and walked to his room, bothered by no one. Twitch.

Twitch. He couldn't remember how long he had been there. Twitch. He was surprised that no one had tried to bother him yet. Twitch. Had he truly scared them that much? Twitch. The fourteen-year-old was starting to feel bad about that. Twitch. Freed had never wanted to scare them, they were much too precious. Twitch.

"Freed?"

Twitch.

"I got you a present."

Twitch.

"Present," the babies said.

Twitch.

"I felt bad about the smoothie so I went to the bookstore."

Twitch. Bookstore?

"And I got you this," a book and a sheaf of paper were placed on the bed in front of him then Bickslow carefully backed away. "And I really am sorry about your hair."

Twitch. A book? Twitch. Curious, he picked up the book. Twitch. _The Art of Making Origami,_ he read silently. Twitch. Origami certainly sounded interesting. Twitch. He opened the book and began reading. Twitch. A short time later he laid the book down and picked up a piece of paper and began folding it. Twitch. After completing his first swan he set it aside and took up more paper. Twitch. He sat there for several hours, making more and more origami figures. Only when the paper was gone did he get up.

"Freed!" Ever cried happily as he walked into the living room.

"Do we have anymore paper?" he asked.

"Nope, sorry," Laxus didn't look very repentant but he was Laxus so that was all right.

"I can go get some more," Bickslow offered, looking ready to spring off the back of the couch and out the door if Freed ordered it.

"It's fine," Freed shook his head. "Thank you for the book by the way. I feel much better now."

"Your face isn't twitching anymore so that's a good sign," the acrobat grinned.

"Good sign," the dolls agreed as they floated over to Freed, apologetically bumping him.

"Maybe all you needed was a hobby for when you get stressed out," Ever suggested.

"Hobbies are good," Laxus commented. "Although that demon aura you had earlier was pretty cool."

"Demon aura?" Freed raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah after Bickslow dumped his smoothie on your head you got this weird aura thing around you and it was really scary," Ever explained.

"I'll just take your word for it," Freed grinned weakly. A demon aura? Him? They were obviously just teasing him. They had to be. Right? Oh well, even if they weren't he was all right now. Working on origami for hours had calmed him to the point where he could think rationally. Perhaps they were correct and a hobby could help, it certainly couldn't hurt.

"You might want to take a shower," Laxus suggested. "You've got dried smoothie in your hair."

Freed's eyes widened and he squeaked when he lifted a hand to his hair. "I've got to wash my hair right away," he turned and ran towards the bathroom.

"Shouldn't we tell him that Laxus used all the hot water?" Bickslow asked.

"Hot water."

"Nah, Freed's a smart guy, he'll figure it out," Laxus shook his head.

A shrill scream came from the bathroom.

"See? I knew he'd figure it out," Laxus turned up the volume on his music and leaned back.

"I'm gonna go get some more paper," Bickslow sighed as he and the babies went out the front door.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! This chapter was for my best friend who was kind enough to draw the cover photo for this story and whose favorite Thunder Legion character is Freed. I can't promise a chapter every single day but I will do my best to get them to you as quickly as I can. Also, the lengths of the chapters will differ, depending on what my muse dictates. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	9. First Date

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 9: First Date

At fifteen Evergreen was gorgeous, long flowing brown hair that framed her face perfectly. Her glasses gave her a look of intelligence and her cheeks were always rosy, courtesy of Bickslow's makeup lessons. Her chest was fully developed, catching many an eye especially once they caught sight of her guild mark. A slender waist and long legs, accentuated by the short dresses that she usually wore made for a very lovely picture.

All the boys in town had noticed her blossoming beauty but she had ignored them, deeming them all beneath her, an attitude which her brothers had encouraged. One, however, had caught her eye. He worked at the local candy store and always gave her an extra piece of chocolate when she came in. He had dimples and curly brown hair and an adorable smile. His name was Josh and he always had a witty joke to tell her and, while they weren't always funny, she still laughed because she appreciated the effort.

Despite Bickslow's best efforts she still insisted on stopping by the candy store after they returned from their latest mission, although he insisted on coming with her. There were very few times when she was embarrassed of her family but this was definitely one of them. She wished Freed had come instead, he looked normal enough, even with the fancy coat and sword but nothing about Bickslow said normal. Between the knight getup, the floating dolls and the fact that he simply towered over everyone, including her, he was extremely intimidating but he was better than Laxus, she had to admit. He was the most normal looking one of them all but also the scariest.

"Evergreen," Josh smiled as soon as he saw her.

"Hello, Josh," she giggled, earning a weird look from Bickslow. "I just came in to get some more chocolate."

"And I want some of those candies that are shaped like an octopus," Bickslow pointed but was ignored.

"Your wish is my command," Josh quickly wrapped up her order, tying a green ribbon around it instead of the normal pink.

"Thank you," Ever smiled, blushing when their fingers brushed as she took the package.

"I still want the octopus candy," Bickslow complained.

"Octopus," the babies echoed.

"Are…are you doing anything this Friday night?" Josh asked hesitantly.

"Yes she is," Bickslow wasn't sure where this conversation was going but he was certain that he wasn't going to like it.

"Not at all," Evergreen shook her head.

"Would you like to go see a movie with me? We can get something to eat afterwards," Josh offered.

"No way!" Bickslow yelped.

"You mean like a date?" Ever blinked.

"If that's what you want it to be then sure."

"In that case, then yes I would love to," Evergreen smiled happily.

"I'll pick you up at six if that's ok. Where do you live anyways?"

"How about I just meet you here?" she suggested, knowing that there was no way Josh would be able to make it through the barrier Freed had placed around their house as only those with the Fairy Tail emblem were able to enter.

"I'll see you then," Josh grinned.

"See you," Ever smiled and waved as she turned to exit the store.

"Hey!" Bickslow slammed his fist down on the counter. "You never gave me the octopus candy that I asked for."

"I'm so sorry," Josh apologized.

As they left the store Ever gave Bickslow a dirty look. "Did you really have to scare him like that?"

"He wouldn't give me my candy cuz the two of you were too busy flirting," he complained.

"Flirting," the babies managed to sound disgusted.

"You're such a child," Ever rolled her eyes.

"Am not," Bickslow stuck his tongue out at her.

Ever, however, was no longer paying any attention to him. "I wonder what I should wear Friday," she mused.

"You could just stay home," he suggested.

"Absolutely not!" Ever was horrified at the mere thought. "I'm going on my date whether or you approve or not."

"Good luck telling Freed and Laxus," Bickslow shrugged as he popped a piece of candy in his mouth.

"Good luck," the dolls giggled.

"Oh, crap," Evergreen's face fell. That was one conversation she was most definitely not looking forward to.

"Sucks to be you," Bickslow offered her one of the mini octopi.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled.

* * *

"What's with the goofy grin?" Laxus asked the second they entered the house.

"Ever's got a date Friday with that Josh guy," Bickslow wrinkled his nose.

"Gross," the babies said.

"Date?" Freed and Laxus asked at the same time.

"Why didn't you stop them?" Freed accused.

"Hey don't blame me; I tried but they just ignored me," Bickslow exclaimed.

"He did try," Pippi said.

"But they ignored him," Poppo sounded mournful.

"Ignored," the other three agreed.

"This is terrible," Freed sank into the chair.

"It's a date, not the end of the world," Ever groaned. She wasn't surprised that the boys were overreacting, they tended to do that in every single situation, no matter what it was.

"Now, Freed," Laxus rolled his eyes. "It's just a date."

"Thank you," Ever smiled in relief.

"It's not like she's gonna quit the Thunder Legion so they can get married and have tons of babies," Laxus continued.

"Why don't you just shut up," Ever hissed.

"Quit the Thunder Legion?" Freed echoed.

"Get married?"

"Babies?"

The two sat there, faces paling as the image of Evergreen in a brilliant wedding dress surrounded by a dozen children of varying ages entered their mind.

"No!" they wailed, clutching at Evergreen with all their might.

"I hate you," she glowered at Laxus who merely grinned at her.

"You're the one who decided that she just had to go on a date," the lightning Dragon Slayer reminded her. "So you're going to have to face the consequences."

"Why me?" she groaned as she attempted to free herself.

* * *

Friday came all too quickly in everyone's opinion, Ever's included. She was currently in her room, trying on the umpteenth outfit that afternoon. She only had two hours before she was supposed to meet Josh and she still had to do her makeup and fix her hair. She was never going to make it.

"Do you require some assistance?" Freed hesitantly poked his head in the door, Bickslow and his babies also peering in.

"I don't know what to wear," she wailed.

The two boys looked at the pile of clothes lying discarded on her bed then at the teary-eyed girl.

"I've got this," Bickslow assured Freed.

"You sure?" the rune mage looked somewhat delighted at the thought of getting to leave.

"Positive," Bickslow practically shoved Freed out then turned to Evergreen. "I'm not even going to claim to understand why you want to go on a date but I'll help you get ready. Since this is just a casual date you don't wanna get all dolled up. You also don't want to look cheap so you can't show too much skin but you don't need to send a nun vibe either."

Ever blinked at him, her eyes shining. Bickslow, for all his weirdness, could be so…amazing at times. This was most definitely one of those.

"Put this on," he ordered, tossing her a handful of clothes.

"Sure thing," Ever quickly stripped then pulled on the miniskirt and leggings. She caught the low-cut shirt Bickslow tossed next then put it on.

"Good," Bickslow nodded in satisfaction then pushed her down on the bed. "Babies, I need some makeup," he called.

"On it," the babies zoomed out of the room.

"Let's see," he grasped her chin between his fingers, looking intently at her face. "I'll do your hair after I fix up your face, it'll be a lot easier."

"Okay," she nodded. When he got like this it was much easier to just go with the flow besides he was a wizard when it came to fashion, despite what his costume said.

Once the babies had returned Bickslow began working his magic. After a few minutes he nodded in satisfaction then put the makeup brush down. He then grabbed the hairbrush and some bobby pins and before Evergreen knew it her hair was in a side ponytail with a few individual strands still framing her face.

"All done," he smiled as he stepped back.

"Thank you," she wrapped him in an impulsive hug.

"You're welcome," Bickslow returned the hug then stepped back. "Isn't it about time you left?"

Ever looked at the clock and shrieked as she pulled on her favorite pair of high heels. "Thanks again, I've got to go now."

"Take your jacket, it's cold out," Bickslow called after her as she practically ran from the room.

"What are you guys doing?" Ever groaned as she walked toward the candy store.

"We are merely escorting you to make sure that you arrive safely," Freed explained.

"Safely," the babies agreed.

"And you?" she turned to Laxus.

"I had nothing better to do," he shrugged.

She groaned again and quickened her pace, desperate to get there before Josh got off so she would have enough time to make her brothers hide as she highly doubted that they would agree to go back home.

"Now if he does anything inappropriate then just whistle and we'll come running, okay?" Bickslow instructed.

"Are you really going to follow me?" Ever was horrified at the mere thought.

"As if we would allow our baby sister to go on a date with someone and not follow," Freed sniffed.

"Just don't embarrass me, okay," she sighed as she walked on ahead.

"Embarrass her?" Bickslow frowned. "Why is she being so mean?"

"Mean," the babies sounded sad.

"It's just a rebellious stage, she'll grow out of it," Laxus sounded sure of himself.

"But you didn't," Bickslow argued, causing Freed to snigger. The acrobat then yelped as a small bolt of lightning zapped him.

Laxus smirked and continued walking.

Evergreen wound up arriving exactly on time, her brothers hidden nearby. "Hey, Josh," she waved and smiled as the boy in question exited the shop.

"Hello, Evergreen," he smiled warmly at her. "You look amazing by the way."

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself," she smoothed her hands over her skirt, feeling nervous.

"Shall we go?" he held his hand out in offering.

"Thank you," she happily took his hand and they walked down the street toward the movie theater.

"Why is he holding her hand?" Bickslow asked as they tried to follow unseen.

"Because girls like it for some reason. It makes them feel special or some nonsense like that," Laxus explained, the only one of the group who wasn't trying to hide.

"Fascinating," Freed mused. "The female mind is most complex indeed. I daresay that anyone who figures out exactly how it works would be the richest person alive."

* * *

Evergreen was thoroughly enjoying herself. The movie had been a little too sappy, even for her but she had liked sharing popcorn with Josh and the fact that he held her hand throughout the entire film.

"So did you enjoy the movie?" he asked as they walked to the restaurant.

"It was very good," she smiled, studiously trying to ignore the floating dolls that flew a short distance behind them.

"Except for when that weirdo in back started making puking noises," he laughed.

"Except for that," her smile felt a little tight, especially since she was positive that Bickslow had been the one making the noises.

"I'll be honest though, I didn't actually expect your teammates to let you come by yourself, especially since they won't even let you come to the store alone."

"You'd be surprised," she laughed nervously. There was no need for him to know that they had been trailed all night and that they were less than fifteen feet away.

He smiled at her and she was just enjoying the peace and quiet when she felt something touch her bottom. She jumped and turned her head, glowering when she caught sight of Josh's smirking face. "What was that for?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hand on my butt. Why did you do that?" she repeated through gritted teeth. All she had to do was whistle and her brothers would appear. Suddenly she wasn't mad at them for following her like she had been earlier.

"Most girls like it when I do that," Josh shrugged. "And with the way that you usually dress I figured…"

Evergreen cut him off as the pieces fell into place. 'What do you take me for? Some kind of slut?"

"Well yeah."

Evergreen was faced with two options; one, she could turn him to stone or two, she could let her brothers beat him up. She considered then let out a loud whistle.

"Why'd you do that?" Josh looked puzzled.

"You want us to beat him up?" Bickslow offered as they stepped into the light.

"Beat him up, beat him up," the babies chanted.

"If you wouldn't mind," her smile was wicked, feral actually.

"Of course not," Freed patted her on the shoulder.

"Anything for our baby sister," sparks of electricity danced in the air around Laxus, indicating that he was ready to let loose.

"Just don't kill him, I don't think Master Makarov would be very pleased with us if that happened," she said.

"Your wish is our command," Bickslow grinned.

Once they were through beating up her date they moved to stand protectively behind Evergreen as she marched to the whimpering, pathetic figure on the ground. "I enjoyed the movie," she smiled. "Thanks for such a great time," she then kicked him in the groin, causing him to whimper and curl into himself even more. "Wimp," she shook her head in disgust and walked away.

"I'm sorry that your evening didn't work out as planned," Freed apologized.

"We can still get dinner," Bickslow waved some jewels in her face. "Apparently your date had a lot of these in his wallet so I figured he wouldn't miss a few."

"Bickslow," Freed chided.

"Good thinking," Laxus clapped the acrobat on the shoulder. "What do you say, Ever? Want to go to a real fancy restaurant?"

"Well since Josh was kind enough to pay how could I refuse?" she smiled broadly as the babies flitted around her, making excited coos.

"Food!" Bickslow cheered as he performed a handstand in celebration. "Oh by the way, Ever, I'm pretty sure he's going to get fired tomorrow."

"What did you do? "the tone of Freed's voice indicated resignation.

"Oh I merely made a slight suggestion, nothing much."

"Thank you, I appreciate all of you," Ever truly was grateful. She could have easily handled things on her own but it was so nice that she didn't have to.

"It's what family does," Laxus threw an arm over her shoulder and they escorted her to the fanciest restaurant in all of Magnolia.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be as my tablet charger is broke and my tablet's almost dead but I've got a new one coming in Wednesday. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	10. Driving Lessons

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 10: Driving Lessons

Freed was sixteen when he decided that one of them needed to learn how to drive. It was, he argued, a good skill to have in case of an emergency. It was also extremely logical for teenagers to want to learn how to drive he pointed out.

"Yeah right, you just want to learn how to drive," Laxus scoffed.

While that was most definitely true Freed couldn't even begin to explain the burning desire that he had to get in the driver's seat and go wherever he wanted. The wind whipping through his long hair, the sun on his face…it was enough to make Freed giddy. The others, however, didn't seem to share in his excitement.

"I don't know how to drive so you can forget that," Laxus informed him.

While he did admit to a certain amount of disappointment at that Freed refused to give up in his quest. "Bickslow?" he asked hopefully. The acrobat was always producing some heretofore unknown skill so perhaps driving was one of them.

"You are not getting me in those of those contraptions. They're evil."

"Evil," the babies agreed.

"Look if you're that dead set on learning I'll talk to Gramps. Maybe he can convince one of the older members of the guild to teach you," Laxus offered.

* * *

Two days later Macao found himself standing in a deserted area of town, a rented Magic Mobile behind him. "Okay so the Master ordered me to teach you idiots how to drive. So, who am I going to be teaching?"

"Me," Freed stepped forward.

"I guess me too," Evergreen sighed, not looking very enthused.

"No way," Bickslow crossed his arms.

"Just those two," due to Laxus's motion sickness there was absolutely no way that he would be able to drive a vehicle.

"All right, let's get this over with," Macao sighed. "Evergreen, you're up first."

"Yay me," she groaned as she reluctantly climbed into the seat.

"Okay so just strap the band around your arm so it can use your magic energy," Macao waited until she had done so before continuing. "Now just put your foot on the brake and ease the gear shift into drive then move your foot to the gas pedal and press down on it gently."

"Now what?" she asked.

"Well it's supposed to be moving," Macao frowned then bent down, looking at the pedals. "Well there's your problem right there, your feet aren't actually touching the pedals."

"Yes they are," she argued.

"I can see space between your foot and the pedal; just lower your foot a little more and press down gently."

Evergreen scowled but cautiously lowered her heels so that they were just barely brushing the pedal. "My feet are touching now," she grumbled.

"We're still not moving," Macao pointed out. "The point is to apply enough force that the Magic Mobile actually moves."

"Why?" she demanded. "We can take the train almost anywhere."

"Almost but not everywhere," Macao explained. "There are some places the trains won't go and there are some places that people refuse to go."

"Wimps," Bickslow snorted in derision.

"Says the person who won't even get in," Evergreen hissed.

"Hey I saw someone get run over once by one of these things. It was disgusting!"

"I don't even want to know," Macao sighed heavily, wishing that he was back at the guild, drinking with Wacaba. It was much more peaceful there. "Just put a little more pressure on there please, Evergreen. The sooner you make the vehicle go the sooner your lesson is over with."

"Oh," she blinked. "Why didn't you just say so?"

She pressed her foot down and slowly, but surely, the Magic Mobile began to move forward; an inch at a time that is.

"Evergreen? May I ask why you're going so slow?"

"I don't want to run over anybody," she explained.

"There's no one out here besides your teammates and they're not in the way!" Macao yelped.

"Safety first," she lifted her head and continued going at a snail's pace.

Macao just groaned and buried his face in his hands. The afternoon could not end soon enough for him.

By the time the hour that had been allotted for Evergreen was finished, she had only made it halfway around the course. Macao happily ordered her out, ignoring the groans of relief coming from her friends and allowed Freed to climb in.

"Don't worry," Freed assured him. "I believe I have observed and read enough that I shall be able to drive without too many hassles."

"Whatever you say," Macao honestly didn't care at this point; he just wanted to get back to the guild and have a beer.

Freed placed the band around his wrist, grabbed the gearshift and stomped on the gas pedal. The Magic Mobile lurched forward as it took off at high speeds, leaving a dust cloud in its wake. The teenager happily took the turns without slowing down in the slightest, ignoring Macao's panicked screams for him to stop. True, he was having a little trouble seeing what with all the dust in the air but he was also having the time of his life and he saw no reason whatsoever for him to slow down. Only wimps and Evergreen (he wasn't stupid enough to call _her_ a wimp) drove at ridiculously slow speeds. If you could make out a person's every feature then they were going way too slow. No, driving so fast that you were only a blur was the way to go, Freed was sure of that. He was therefore surprised when green beams cut through the dust, letting all the air out of his tires.

The Magic Mobile came to an abrupt stop. Due to the fact that he was actually attached to it Freed only received a violent jerk. Macao, unfortunately, was not so lucky. The mage flew through the air and hit the ground with a thud.

"Are you okay?" Evergreen asked worriedly as the teenagers gathered him.

"I hate teenagers," Macao said. "But I hate teaching them how to drive even more." He stood up slowly, brushing the dust off his body. "I'm going back to the guild now. I don't care what you do with the Magic Mobile or what you tell the Master; I'm never teaching anyone how to drive ever again." With those parting words he limped away.

"Why did you shoot out my tires?" Freed complained. "I was having fun."

"Freed, as your friend and leader, I hereby forbid you from ever driving a Magic Mobile or anything else for that matter, for the rest of your life," Laxus said solemnly.

Had it been anyone else Freed might have argued but Laxus's word was law so he merely nodded and climbed down. "It was fun while it lasted," he sighed.

"I don't think Macao would agree with you," Bickslow sniggered.

* * *

"So how'd the driving lesson go?" Makarov asked as Macao walked up to the bar. The mage declined to answer, instead sending a vicious glare at the old man. "That bad huh?"

"Considering that one was a speed demon and the other one was a snail I'm lucky I got out alive," Macao heartily downed his beer. "I'm not doing that again."

"All right," Makarov shrugged. "I'll just get Wacaba to teach Mira Jane and Elfman."

"I'll say something nice at his funeral," Macao said.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! Thanks for all the reviews!


	11. Firm Resolve

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 11: Firm Resolve

Death. Such a simple, small word yet it could make even the heartiest of warriors stop in their tracks and tremble with fear. Was the note of finality that often accompanied it or the fact that it signified the end of, well, everything? The fear of the afterlife was overwhelming although, Laxus suspected, if people actually knew what awaited them then there would be no fear nor hesitation but that would defeat the purpose. Some people spent their entire lives doing good deeds in order to buy their way to a better place while others did nothing but wicked deeds. Personally, Laxus preferred to enjoy himself; what was the point of living if you couldn't even have fun?

It was beyond rare for the Lightning Dragon Slayer to be so introspective, he usually preferred to leave such matters to Freed. However, something had happened. Something so dreadful that Laxus was left with no choice but to contemplate their mortal existence. Lisanna was dead. Sweet, little Lisanna Strauss whom he had known since she joined the guild was gone. She was the first member of Fairy Tail in twenty-one years to die, the last one having been Laxus's mother who had died during childbirth.

It wasn't just the fact that Lisanna had died, it was the way she had died. Killed by her own brother no less while her sister just sat there and watched. The two people in this world that she had depended on, had trusted absolutely to protect her had failed her when she needed them the most. Neither her siblings nor the guild that she called home had been strong enough to save her. There hadn't even been a body to bury.

That was what scared Laxus the most; the people she loved couldn't save her. What did that say about the rest of them? If Mira Jane of all people hadn't been able to save her little sister, then what about Laxus? Who was to say that when the time came he would be able to protect his family? He looked over at them, his lips curving into a smile despite his dismal thoughts. The three of them were curled up in a pile; Freed lay on the outside, his back facing Laxus in an attempt to provide whatever shelter he could for Evergreen who lay in the middle, clutching one of their hands in each of her own while Bickslow protected her other side, his broad back providing a slightly better defense as his babies looked relatively comfortable, perching on whatever parts of his body they could.

As quickly as the smile came, however, it disappeared. They had only met Lisanna once or twice yet her death had shaken them just as it had Laxus. Earlier that morning he had been laughing at Bickslow's antics and now he couldn't stop seeing their dead, broken bodies in his mind. What if they died because Laxus was too weak? No, he decided, no he couldn't let that happen. He refused to let anything bad happen to them; he would protect them no matter what. He would just have to become stronger than everyone else, stronger than the old man even.

" _Laxus?" Makarov's face looked unusually grim in the communication lacrima._

" _What do you want, old man?" Laxus scowled although it was purely reflexive by now._

" _Lisanna's dead, she was killed while on an emergency S-class mission with Mira and Elfman," the old man was never one to be subtle, preferring instead to be blunt much like Laxus himself._

" _What?" Laxus was both shocked and horrified. "She's dead?"_

" _Dead?" Freed and the others turned to look at him but he chose to ignore them for now._

" _I'm afraid so. The funeral's in two days, is there any chance that you can make it back in time?" Makarov didn't sound very hopeful._

" _I'm afraid not, it took us a week to get here and we're still not done with the job yet," Laxus answered honestly. As it was a job dealing with a giant monster he couldn't in good conscience just leave before it was taken care of._

" _I understand," there was a heavy sigh. "You kids take care and come back safe."_

" _Sure thing," Laxus nodded then stuffed the lacrima back into his bag once the link had been severed._

" _Laxus?" Freed looked worried. "Has something happened?"_

Laxus shook his head, clearing his mind of the memory. Now was not the time to be dwelling on the past, he had to think of the future. The first thing he had to do was figure out a plan of action. He needed to make the guild stronger but he knew that his grandfather would just probably say something to the effect that the guild was already strong enough even though this clearly proved that it wasn't. he was reluctant to let his thoughts go further, something deep inside warning him that if he continued down this path then there would be turning back. But if he didn't do something then there was a good possibility that the next funeral Fairy Tail had could very well be one of the Thunder Legion's. He had sworn to himself, long ago, that he would never betray their trust, that he would do whatever was necessary to protect them, to prove that their loyalty wasn't in vain.

"All right then," he whispered. "If Gramps isn't willing to do whatever it takes to protect the members of this guild then I'll just have to take over. I'll even use force if I have to. It's funny isn't it, Gramps? You always teased me that I had my own private army now I guess it's time to put them to good use."

A cold wind swept through the campsite, chilling Laxus to the bone as though Nature herself was expressing her disappointment in his actions. He ignored it though, simply tugging the fur coat tighter around his shoulders. Laxus Dreyar wasn't a quitter and now that he had decided on his course of action then there would be no backing out, no second guessing himself. He suspected that the others wouldn't be thrilled but they would do as he asked. First though, he had to make them stronger.

The sun rose, it's brilliant rays hitting still sleeping faces and warming them as their owners reluctantly woke up.

"Get up, you lazy bums," Laxus walked over to them. "I've been going too easy on you guys and its high time I increased your training. By the time I'm done with you the Thunder Legion will be the strongest team in Fairy Tail."

"And then what?" Freed asked as he slowly untangled himself from Evergreen and sat up.

"And then we're going to take over Fairy Tail."

"We're going to do what?" the three shouted at once.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! While I never really cared for the episode about Lisanna I figured that it could've been a catalyst for an already rebellious Laxus. While he was a jerk later on, considering how close he is to the Thunder Legion, I thought this made a better reason for him to try and take over the guild then simply proving that he's stronger than Makarov. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	12. The Battle of Fairy Tail

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 12: The Battle of Fairy Tail

"His soul's dark," Bickslow announced rather abruptly.

"Whose?" Freed was far too used to his teammate's eccentricities to be surprised.

"Laxus," Bickslow clarified from his position atop the street lamps.

"How so?" Evergreen ignored the curious stares from the townspeople as she began fanning herself.

"It's been greyish for a while now but recently, ever since he started training us harder, it's been getting a lot darker," the seith mage explained. "It's not black but it's definitely getting there."

"Getting there," the babies sounded sad. They much preferred the Laxus that laughed at Bickslow's jokes, not the one that threatened to zap him into week if he didn't shut up.

"Is there anything that we can do?" Freed would willingly admit that this was one area that he was not an expert in. Sadly enough, Bickslow was the only person that he had heard of that dealt with human souls, making him the only one who would know if they could fix Laxus's soul.

"Not sure," Bickslow shrugged as he calmly stepped to the next lamp. "I've never tried cleaning someone's soul before and that would be beyond risky. In all honesty? I don't think I can do it but Laxus himself might."

"Huh?" Evergreen frowned up at her brother.

"Two words: Fairy Law."

"Do you really think that would work?" Freed was starting to feel a little bit hopeful. All the stories that he had heard about Fairy Law had portrayed the spell as the ultimate eliminator of evil.

"But wouldn't it hurt him?" there was a snap as Evergreen shut her fan.

"It shouldn't as long as he's the one who casts the spell," Bickslow explained.

"The problem is getting him to cast it," Freed mused. "We'll have to somehow trick him."

"We could always lose," Bickslow landed on the sidewalk with a dull thud.

"What? But I don't want to lose!" Evergreen cried. "I want to beat Erza and become Titania!"

"It's for Laxus," Freed said gently.

"Fine," she grumbled then hit Bickslow's arm with her fan.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Because I felt like it."

"Freed," the acrobat whined but was ignored.

"It'll have to be done precisely," the rune mage mused, already making the necessary calculations in his head.

"The two of you do realize that we're most likely going to get kicked out fo the guild, right?" Evergreen pointed out worriedly.

"Do you want to stay in the guild?" the thought had also occurred to Freed and he couldn't deny that some small part of him ached at the thought of leaving.

Ever obviously felt the same way but she gamely smiled and tossed her head. "I could care less. It's to help Laxus after all."

"As long as we get to stay together I don't care," Bickslow added.

"Stay together," the babies echoed.

"Don't worry," Freed smiled. "No one will ever split us up."

* * *

It was almost a year after that conversation, right after the Phantom Lord incident and discovering that two of their former members had actually joined Fairy Tail, that Laxus finally decided that it was time to put his plan into motion. The Thunder Legion, meanwhile, put the final preparations on their own plan and reluctantly returned to Magnolia in order to carry them out.

"This rune here will prevent anyone from using magical powers while inside it and…Bickslow!"

"What?" the acrobat snapped.

"Are you even listening to me?" Freed sighed.

"No magic powers, got it. I don't see what the big deal is; we can wipe these guys out even without our powers," Bickslow pushed himself away from the brick wall that he had been leaning against.

"The point is to not kill them or to let them realize that we're holding back," Freed explained. Again.

"So in other words, don't let them know that we're capable of fighting without our powers," Bickslow surmised. "Got it," he gave a thumbs up.

"That's about right," Freed walked down the street, Bickslow following.

"Either way I get to have some fun," the taller man cackled.

"Fun," the babies agreed.

"How can you say that?" Freed whirled around. "They're still our guild mates; we're not supposed to have fun hurting them!"

Bickslow sighed and flipped up his visor. "Look, it's not like we really know any of them. I mean, you're the one who decided that we shouldn't hang out with them anymore. But every time we go in that guild hall to get a job request they're always talking about us, about how weird and stuck-up all of us are. So you'll just have to forgive me if I don't mind teaching those guys a lesson. I'm used to them calling me names but I don't like it when they do it to you and Ever so I'm just going to get a little payback. I promise not to hurt them too seriously, okay?"

Freed looked at Bickslow's unusually serious face and nodded. "I appreciate it and I'm sorry for yelling at you. I suppose I'm a little stressed out right now," he laughed nervously.

"Well at least your face isn't twitching," Bickslow grinned then turned serious once more. "If it makes you feel any better I don't really want to fight them either, I mean Master Makarov was kind enough to let us join the guild and I hate the fact that this is how we're going to repay him but it's not like we're actually going to take the guild from him, you know?"

"I know," Freed nodded. "Thank you for the talk by the way. I know how much you hate having to get all serious like that."

"Anything for my little brother," Bickslow slung an arm over Freed's shoulder as they resumed walking. "Don't worry about it, Freed. Everything will work out in the end, you'll see."

"How on earth did you get to be so smart?"

"Oh that's easy," Bickslow grinned. "I've got a know-it-all little brother and a pretty smart little sister too. I've been around them so long that I'm afraid some of their smarts are starting to rub off on me."

"Not enough I'm afraid," Freed muttered but smiled regardless.

* * *

The next day everything was, so far, going according to plan. Evergreen had turned all the girls to stone, Laxus had made his ultimatum and the male members of Fairy Tail were all battling each other. The Thunder Legion had split up and were chasing down the victors, easily defeating them. Bickslow was the only person thoroughly enjoying himself although Evergreen had to admit to a certain satisfaction as she laughed at the poor fools, some of whom dared try and use the "we're part of the same guild, we're your friends," speech. Friends? Them? The only friends the Thunder Legion had ever made were each other and Laxus. There were no others.

Freed was not enjoying himself but rather carried out his duty grimly, as though he were in charge of wiping out a thousand civilians, not defeating his fellow guild mates in somewhat fair combat.

* * *

From the relative safety of the Guild Hall Makarov watched anxiously as the battles continued. He wanted nothing more at the moment than to throttle his irresponsible grandson. Really, what the hell was that brat thinking? Laxus had always been a bit of a troublemaker but that was to be expected. While it was true that he was still resentful about the fact that his father had gotten kicked out of the guild he had calmed down considerably after going on a couple of missions with the Thunder Legion. But something had obviously sent him over the edge again but this time he seemed intent on taking everyone else with him. It was one thing to do something this…stupid by himself but he had involved the Thunder Legion this time.

Makarov was under no illusions; while it was true that the Thunder Legion had no other friends in the guild to speak of they would have never done something like this unless Laxus had asked. They were so incredibly loyal to the man that they would do whatever he asked, a fact his grandson had obviously exploited. That alone was unforgivable in Makarov's eyes; it was one thing to use complete strangers but his best friends? That was completely unacceptable and the old man could only hope that once this was all over with, they would all be able to walk away unscathed but he doubted it.

* * *

Evergreen had lost to Erza; their plan was working. Now all Bickslow and Freed had to do was lose as well and Laxus would be left with no choice but to use Fairy Law, hopefully cleansing his soul of the darkness that had lingered there for far too long. Bickslow honestly didn't think that the blonde cheerleader was capable of the strength required to defeat him so he was a little surprised when Loke showed up to protect her. He could use this to his advantage though and decided to let her win even if Loke had been rather mean, saying that Bickslow was nothing without his babies. That was so not true! And implying that Bickslow didn't love his souls? Unforgivable. He loved the souls wholeheartedly; they had been lost little things when he first met them so he had talked to them, taken care of them, treated them like he did Freed, Ever and Laxus. He had considered actually taking this little battle seriously but was, unfortunately, caught off guard by the brilliant light and then thrown halfway across the city.

"Ow," he groaned as he landed, somewhat thankfully, in a garbage can. "I hate myself sometimes. Especially when my plans involve me getting hurt."

"Papa?" the babies asked worried as they hovered in front of his face.

"Papa's fine, although there's a possibility that he broke himself."

* * *

Meanwhile, poor Freed was under a lot of stress. Laxus had actually tried to kill him, something which had shaken the poor mage considerably, there were now lightning lacrima in the sky above, threatening to roast everyone alive, including him, Ever and Bickslow… So it was safe to say that he had just about reached his limit so when the former Phantom Lord girl, Juvia, willingly sacrificed herself, claiming that she would never harm a friend it was completely understandable that he reacted badly. He found it extremely difficult to believe that these people were capable of such actions. He had never thought that someone other than the Thunder Legion might be able to care about each other so deeply. He had never even considered the possibility.

Although perhaps he had taken things a bit too far with Elfman; if someone had tried to do the same to his siblings he would have reacted the same way Mira had so he had no one to blame but himself. And now she was going to kill him; mentally he apologized to his family and waited for the final blow.

* * *

Mira Jane had been ready to kill Freed; there was no question about that. She wanted nothing more than to rip his heart out for what he had tried to do to her brother and she would have to except… Except for Lisanna's voice ringing through her head, except as she stared at Freed's terrified face she couldn't help but remember a little boy who had never once strayed from his friends' sides, a boy that had eventually grown into a man but still refused to make new friends. Or, perhaps, he simply wasn't able. Did she really blame him for following Laxus's foolhardy plan, for hurting her brother? No. how could she? She had never once tried to reach out, to be his friend, none of them had.

She talked to him though; tried to convince him that he could have more friends. She wasn't sure if she had reached him or not but she hoped that the tears at least meant he had heard her.

* * *

Laxus snarled in disbelief when he saw the runes and realized that Freed had lost. His Thunder Legion had been defeated. How had this happened? He had spent the past two years training them in hand-to-hand combat until they could hold their own against him, had watched them tap into new abilities and strengthen their previous ones. The only way they could have been defeated was if…was if they had been holding back.

His friends, his family had held back. They didn't believe in Laxus's plan, he could see that now but instead of arguing or challenging him they had followed wihtout question as they always had. Somewhere, deep within, he felt guilty for involving them in this but he ruthlessly shoved that feeling away. He had several battles to fight; he couldn't afford to be distracted.

* * *

"Can you walk?" Evergreen asked worriedly as she helped Bickslow to his feet.

"I sure hope so," he grumbled, swaying slightly. "I think I cracked a rib or two though; it hurts to breathe."

"Don't worry, I'll help you to the house then I'll get Porlyusica and see if she'll agree to look at you," Ever assured him.

"Thanks."

The two took a few steps forward then stopped when they saw a brilliant golden light sweeping over the city.

"Looks like our plan worked," Bickslow said once the light had vanished.

"I guess so," Ever smiled.

* * *

"Laxus? Are you okay?" Freed asked worriedly as he tried pulling the bigger man to his feet.

"What are you still doing here?" Laxus frowned, barely noticing the pained groans of Gajeel and Natsu from their positions.

"No offense but I don't think you're going to be able to make it to the house under your own power right now," Freed's smile was humorless.

"I'm sorry," was all Laxus could say as they started the long journey back.

Freed looked at him warily then smiled again. "I know."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! Thanks for all the reviews!


	13. Aftermath

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 13: Aftermath

"So what do we do now?" Evergreen broke the awkward silence that had fallen over the group once Laxus had disappeared from sight. "I mean, without Laxus what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Freed was at a loss. He had never once expected that they would be allowed to remain. He had just sort of pictured the four of them leaving the guild together to go and seek their fortunes elsewhere. But…but that wasn't what had happened. Laxus was gone and they were still there. Why had the Master allowed them to stay? Why? It just didn't make any sense.

"His soul looks a lot better, that's good at least," Bickslow's voice was shaky and his eyes were no doubt watery.

"Yes, yes it is," Freed managed a smile. "And perhaps now he can find his own path in life, not just go blindly charging into the world."

"And if we're not included?" the stray tear on Evergreen's cheek was quickly wiped away.

"Don't worry," Freed placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. "I have no doubt that that path will lead to us eventually. We've been a part of his life too long; our destinies have been intertwined."

"Your words are still too big," Bickslow complained and, with that, the serious moment had been broken.

"Well excuse me for choosing to educate myself," Freed sniffed haughtily and turned away, pretending to be offended.

* * *

Makarov watched from the infirmary window as the Thunder Legion began walking away, no doubt heading home. He saw how they pretended not to notice the fact that every Fairy Tail member who saw them immediately backed away. He sighed and shook his head sorrowfully. He could understand that everyone was wary of them now, perhaps even scared but didn't they realize that this kind of behavior was one of the reasons why Freed and the others hadn't particularly minded beating them up? It was also one of the reasons why he had allowed them to stay. Any fool could see that they were just following Laxus and while their loyalty to him was commendable they also had an obligation to the guild.

There had never been any friends nor acquaintances outside of each other, they didn't even know how to interact with someone on a personal level. Sure they could hold a casual conversation if necessary but anything deeper and they would be lost. He suspected that they knew that, however, and could only hope that Laxus's absence would force from their comfort zone and perhaps inspire them to try and make new friends.

" _What about the Thunder Legion?" Laxus asked. "What will their fate be? They were just doing what I told them to."_

" _They will remain here," Makarov's voice was grave. "Whether they realize it or not you have abused their trust and that's unforgivable to me."_

 _Laxus flinched. "I know," he whispered. "I was willing to kill all of them and yet Freed still helped me get home. They were holding back; you knew that right?"_

" _Yes I did. That's the main reason why I'm willing to let them stay. They weren't willing to kill their comrades and for that they'll be given a second chance. The second reason is this; they're far too dependent on you, Laxus. They need to learn to make their own decisions, to live their lives without having to cater to your every demand. It's high past time that they live life for themselves and not you."_

 _Laxus bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it and I accept full responsibility for this fiasco. I was the one who came up with the idea and I should be the one punished. I know that it's not at all likely but is there a chance I could come back one day?"_

 _Makarov looked at his grandson's hopeful eyes and almost said no but was forced to reconsider. "There's a very slim chance," he sighed. "You must prove to me that you truly know what being a member of Fairy Tail means before I'll even consider it. Plus it also depends on the Thunder Legion; if they can prove that they can survive without you and if they forgive you then yes, I will let you back in."_

" _I wouldn't worry too much about them; they're a lot more adaptable than you think," the smile on Laxus's face was genuine and full of affection._

" _I certainly hope so. Now get out of here; it's time you learn who you truly are. Take care of yourself," he added as an afterthought._

" _You too, Grandpa," Laxus shut the door behind him, leaving a grieving old man._

Makarov snorted and turned away from the window. He had a festival to prepare for after all; no time to stand around and think about things that had already happened.

* * *

"I don't wanna," Bickslow crossed his arms and scowled, forgetting that he was supposed to be a grown man and therefore somewhat mature.

"Neither do I," Evergreen directed her best glare at Freed who merely sighed at his siblings' behavior.

"Now that Laxus is no longer with us it's time for us to start trying to make friends," he attempted to explain.

"They hate us after everything that's happened and I don't really blame them for that," Bickslow shrugged.

"Blame them," the babies sounded a mixture of skeptical and hurt.

"Fine," Evergreen sighed. "But if they start calling us names then I'm out of there."

"Agreed," Freed inclined his head. "Now let's go in."

He pushed open the heavy doors and briefly considered fleeing as all noise in the guild stopped once it was clear who stood in the doorway.

"I'm out of here," Bickslow spun around.

"Oh no you don't," Freed grabbed his elbow with one hand and Evergreen's with the other. "We're going to sit down and try and interact with them."

"They're staring at us," Ever hissed in his ear as he practically dragged them over to an empty table in the corner.

"Then stare back," he responded. "Just don't turn anyone to stone."

"I'm not making any promises," she whispered fiercely then sat down, whipping out her fan.

"Me neither," Bickslow crossed his arms as he plopped down, the chair groaning in protest.

"Just behave yourselves all right?" Freed calmly sat down, doing his best to ignore the downright angry stares being directed their way.

"I didn't expect to see you guys here," Mira suddenly appeared in front of them, smiling. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Once it became obvious that his companions weren't going to say anything Freed took the initiative. "A mango smoothie, one iced coffee and a cup of Earl Grey tea please."

"Coming right up," Mira wrote down their orders then returned to the bar where she immediately began making the drinks.

Silence fell over the group as they discreetly stole glances at the other members. Almost everyone had returned to what they were previously doing except for Lucy who kept pointing in their direction as she argued with Natsu. She stood up rather abruptly and marched over to their table, stopping directly in front of them.

"May we help you?" Freed asked politely. If he remembered correctly she was the one that had fought against Bickslow.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," she smiled at Bickslow. "I mean, Loke did go overboard and you went flying halfway across the city so I just wanted to make sure that you were all right."

The three members of the Thunder Legion simply stared at her, their mouths hanging open in surprise.

"I'm fine," Bickslow finally managed to get out after realizing that she was obviously waiting for an answer. There was no reason to tell her about the cracked ribs or the multiple bruises that both Freed and Evergreen were sporting underneath their clothes and layers of makeup.

"That's good," she beamed at him then stuck out her hand. "I hope we can be friends."

"Friends?" Bickslow and his babies echoed at the same time.

Evergreen rolled her eyes then grabbed Bickslow's hand and thrust it toward Lucy who quickly moved her hand.

Bickslow stared at both of them in minute horror then yanked his hand away and shrieked. "Cooties!"

"What?" Lucy looked surprised at his outburst.

"I'm going to get cooties," he wailed, cradling the infected appendage.

"I'm too sober for this," Evergreen declared as she stood up and walked towards the bar.

Freed fervently wanted to scream, 'Take me with you' but refrained. Someone had to make sure that Bickslow didn't destroy anything after all.

"I don't have cooties," Lucy was starting to get angry now.

"But you're a girl," Bickslow protested. "Therefore you obviously have cooties."

"Evergreen's a girl and I didn't hear you fussing at her."

"Of course not," Bickslow actually looked offended. "I tested her years ago and she was clean. I think her Stone Eyes scared the cooties away."

"How do you know that girls even have cooties? It's entirely possible that boys told everyone that they did when in reality the males could be the ones that carry them," the blonde looked entirely too smug.

"I hate you," Freed hissed.

Bickslow sat there, absorbing the information then suddenly jumped up crying, "We're infested with cooties!" He began running around the room wildly, still screaming.

As pandemonium broke out in the Guild Hall, Freed buried his face in his hands and wished that he had listened to Bickslow and Ever earlier and just stayed home.

"Hey, Freed?"

"What is it, Lucy?" his voice was slightly muffled but Freed didn't care.

"Don't take this the wrong way but when I fought Bickslow earlier he struck me as…kind of perverted, not the kind of guy that would freak out over cooties," the confusion in her voice was clear.

"He's been hanging around Laxus so much that he picked up on how he talked to girls," Freed explained. "Unfortunately, when he's caught off guard like this then his unique personality shines through."

"I see," Lucy shook her head as she caught sight of Bickslow and Natsu arguing about whether or not guys had cooties.

Freed merely groaned and wondered if anyone would notice if he left and went home.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! Thanks for all the reviews!


	14. Edolas

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 14: Edolas

When Lisanna first arrived in Edolas she had difficulty fitting in at times. She blamed her lack of knowledge on a head wound, a fact which was confirmed by Wendy, Fairy Tail's nurse. Mira and Elfman didn't seem to care though; they were so delighted to have her back that they eagerly filled in all the blank spots when she asked and covered for her at the guild hall and quickly corrected her when she said something in public that didn't fit in with their history. It had been confusing at first and that times she still felt overwhelmed but after three months she was finally starting to get the hang of things.

It was easy enough to get a job serving drinks alongside Mira. It was nice working with her sister, Lisanna decided. She no longer had to take jobs if she didn't want to as the bar gig paid surprisingly well and Elfman went out on jobs all the time. They didn't pay very well but between the three of them they lived a relatively comfortable life.

Since most people still thought she was dead Lisanna was often the one chosen to go to the nearby towns and get food and supplies. One day, on her way back to the guild, Lisanna took a wrong turn and found herself in an unfamiliar part of the forest.

"Great, I'm lost," she sighed. "And now it's sprinkling," she groaned as raindrops began falling on her head.

It was then that she saw a small cottage up ahead. She tightened her hold on the groceries and ran, not stopping until she was standing in front of the door. She took a deep breath and knocked, tentatively at first then a bit more forcefully. The door finally opened and the words in Lisanna's throat died once she saw who had answered; it was Laxus Dreyar who stood there. He was a lot scrawnier than her Laxus although he still had the same scar on his face and he wore a polo shirt and tan slacks.

"Lisanna?!"

"Hey, Laxus," she smiled weakly. "Do you mind if I come in? It's raining and I don't want to get soaked."

"S-sure," he stammered and quickly stepped back, allowing her entry.

"Thank you," she smiled and entered the house.

The inside of the cottage was surprisingly homey with thick, lumpy armchairs and surprisingly tasteful paintings on the wall. The other three occupants of the cottage all looked up with varying expressions of surprise.

"Lisanna?" the only recognizable thing about Freed was his signature green hair which was shorter than he usually kept it and pulled back in a ponytail. He wore ripped blue jeans with a black t-shirt and had obviously been in the process of knitting something when she arrived.

"Lisanna's here? But I thought she was dead," milky eyes turned to the doorway in an attempt to locate the girl in question. Evergreen sat down her book and stood up, adjusting her knee-length purple dress. Short, curly hair framed a face that would have been gorgeous were it not for the scar that ran all the way across her face, from her eye to her mouth and over her nose.

The blue and black haired man that Lisanna could only assume was Bickslow, placed the doll that he had been playing with in his lap, and began making hand motions which Lisanna easily recognized as sign language, but his fingers moved far too fast for her to decipher anything. His clothing was radically different in black leather jeans and…was that a purple bra top similar to what Cana usually wore? Well at least this Bickslow was just as strange as hers.

"It's raining outside and she was seeking shelter," Laxus explained as he guided the girl to an empty armchair.

"She's really back? What happened? Where have you been?" Evergreen stepped forward then blushed. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to be so rude; it's great to have you back. Elfman…Elfman and Mira must be thrilled." She then burst into tears.

"Not again," Freed groaned. "Ever, stop being such a wimp."

Both Laxus and Bickslow glared at him then the blonde mage went and wrapped his arms around the weeping woman. "It's all right," he soothed. "You know we wouldn't have minded if you had stayed with Elfman like you wanted."

"I hope you don't mind the interruption but what exactly are you talking about? I can't remember a lot of things," Lisanna laughed weakly.

Bickslow made more hand motions while Freed translated. "She and Elfman were engaged then after we were…attacked and left the guild she chose to leave with us, breaking off their engagement."

Having heard stories about attacks by the Royal Army, bounty hunters and Erza Knightwalker, Lisanna chose not to ask any questions, merely nodding her head instead. She could easily understand why they wouldn't want to talk about such a thing, especially since Evergreen was now touching the scar on her face hesitantly, fear shining in her eyes for a moment.

"So what's been happening in the guild since we left?" Laxus asked as he guided Evergreen to the chair nearest Lisanna.

Lisanna stayed until late that night, informing them of all the changes that had taken place in the past year. At least the ones she knew about anyways. To her surprise she enjoyed herself, swapping stories and learning a bit more about this new world, stories that Mira had toned down for her benefit. It was with great reluctance that she excused herself and left, promising to return for another visit at a later time.

Once she arrived home she was immediately besieged by her two siblings.

"We were so worried," Mira wailed, fat tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Lisanna apologized, feeling guilty. "It started raining while I was out but I was lucky enough to find shelter with Laxus and the others."

"You saw Evergreen?" Elfman perked up immediately.

"She says hello," Lisanna smiled.

"I'm so happy," Elfman bawled.

* * *

As time passed Lisanna continued going to visit the Thunder Legion. As she had never gotten the chance to know the ones in her world it was a bit easier to make friends as she didn't have their personalities carved in stone like she did with some of the others. As a child the only impression she had ever gotten was that they were lonely so she just went with that.

Laxus was a bookworm in this world, it was rare to see him without a book in hand and the mere mention of physical exercise was enough to make him retreat. Freed's tongue was his most deadly weapon with his razor-sharp wit and cutting words, all designed to throw his enemies off guard long enough for him to punch them. Evergreen had been legally blind since birth, only able to make out vague shapes but she hadn't let that keep her down and had learned Braille and accompanied her teammates on their jobs, with Bickslow usually serving as her guide. From what little they had been willing to tell her Bickslow's mother had been a drug addict and as a result he had been born a mute and had a childlike mind. Somehow the four of them had managed to live and work together despite the fact that Laxus collected teacups, Freed knitted blankets and hats, Evergreen was constantly bursting into tears and Bickslow was rarely seen without a doll or an article of women's clothing on, the more revealing the better.

They were weird but she didn't mind that at all. Sometimes, at night, she would lie in bed and think about her world, Earthland and wonder what was different about her friends and what was the same. Was Wendy still interested in medicine and was Juvia's tongue one of the cruelest in the land? Was the other Lucy as tough and mean as this one or was she sweet and gentle, the exact opposite? This was usually when she told herself not to think about such things because there was no way she was ever going to go back home but if she did have to get thrust into an alternate world and remain trapped at least this one was interesting and somewhat familiar.

* * *

Lisanna had been there for a little over a year before she finally worked up the courage to ask Mira what had happened to Laxus and the Thunder Legion.

"Erza Knightwalker," was Mira's response then she proceeded to elaborate. The four of them had been on a job, it was a simple one but had required that they travel a medium distance from the guild's current location. On their way they had been spotted by Erza who had immediately attacked them. Her attack had been so devastating and ruthless that she had thought them dead and left their bodies there to serve as a warning for the guilds'. It had worked; over half of the guilds had disbanded the instant they heard about it and Fairy Tail had briefly considered it before deciding not to. The four victims had just barely survived and only Wendy's medical knowledge had saved them. As soon as they were healed they left the guild, choosing to spend the rest of their lives in solitude. They were still listed as dead, however, because if Erza ever learned that they were still alive she would seek them out and destroy them.

Later that same day Lisanna went to visit them again, carrying one of her blueberry pies. Bickslow had specifically requested it, stating that none of them could cook well enough to justify trying to make it. He had been assaulted by pillows, following his statement and Lisanna had laughed, promising to make him one. As she walked, she hummed a little song that Gajeel had been singing the last time he stopped by to give Lucy some information and Levy a bouquet of flowers.

The door to the cottage was open. Lisanna froze for a second then hurried her steps. As she got closer she could see that it was just barely hanging on to its hinges, as if someone had thrown it open with a great amount of force. She looked down, just now noticing the bloody footprints that led away then abruptly stopped. Steeling herself Lisanna stepped inside and immediately wished that she hadn't.

There was blood everywhere; it covered the walls, the floors and the ceiling. In the midst of it all were body parts, nothing attached anymore. She dropped the pie and ran away, screaming.

Elfman, Jet, Droy and a few of the other able-bodied men went back to gather up the parts so they could give them a proper burial. Lisanna buried her head in Mira's chest and simply cried for the better part of two hours, hating her new world with a passion.

Lucy came to the house the next day and explained in her usual way that it was definitely Erza's handiwork. Somehow the Fairy Hunter had found out they were still alive and immediately sought to rectify the situation, otherwise it would be a blemish on her blood-stained record. Though no one said it Lisanna knew that they all thought Erza had found out because of her numerous visits. Privately, Lisanna thought it was her fault as well but she didn't let on that she heard the whispers, keeping her smile bright and cheery.

Time passed and Lisanna had almost forgotten that she didn't belong to this world then suddenly Natsu and Happy showed up. She tried putting them out of her mind by visiting the graves of the Thunder Legion but she couldn't. The next thing she knew an anima was taking her back home and she could only watch helplessly as Mira and Elfman let her go, tears rolling down her cheeks. But as she left behind one family and headed towards another she hoped, albeit rather wistfully, that perhaps she could be friends with the other Thunder Legion as well.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Since I was rather miffed that I didn't get to see an Edolas version of the Thunder Legion this is my attempt to correct that. I know it's a little morbid but this is Edolas we're talking about. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	15. S Class Trials

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 15: S Class Trials

Time passed rather quickly for the Thunder Legion. While they hadn't actually opened up to anybody and made new friends they now had several acquaintances and people no longer flinched when they walked by so they considered that to be a win. Not long after Wendy joined and Lisanna returned from Edolas it was that time of year once more; the S Class Trials. As it was a reminder that Laxus was no longer with them the Thunder Legion was understandably melancholy and so they opted to sit at their corner table and laugh over the antics of the other guild members instead of participating themselves.

After Master Makarov declared Freed a contestant they were all filled with joy, at least until Freed chose his partner. Evergreen had been upset at first but cooled down considerably after Elfman asked her to be his partner. Besides, Freed obviously had a reason for picking Bickslow; he didn't do anything without a logical reason.

"So," she began as she entered their house later that day. "Why'd you pick Bickslow?"

"He's gonna throw the Trials," Bickslow answered first, calmly eating a bowl of ice cream.

"Only if we run into Lucy and Cana," Freed attempted to explain. "I still feel rather bad for how we treated them when we tried to take over the guild."

Evergreen rolled her eyes. "You and your conscience," she muttered but with no real bite. "I can understand why you didn't ask me and don't worry you didn't hurt my feelings."

"Besides you get to work with Elfman," Bickslow said in a sing-song voice.

"Bickslow does have a good point," Freed agreed. "I mean you did have that crush on him a few years back."

"That's not why I accepted!" she yelled.

"She's getting defensive," Bickslow told his babies. "That's mean it's the truth."

"Truth," five little voices echoed.

Evergreen just groaned and wished that this stupid Trial would hurry up and be over with already.

* * *

The next week passed quickly and Evergreen found herself first on a boat where she tried not to burn up although seeing her teammates still wearing their regular attire made her want to set them on fire to see if they would feel that. Then they were on the island and, while she would never brag about it in public, she was immensely proud of her improvisational skills when battling Mira Jane. She had to remember to never tell Bickslow how they had won though; he would never let her hear the end of it and would tease her about when her wedding was for the next seven years.

When Tenrou Island fell under attack Evergreen was outraged. How dare someone who wasn't even a member of the guild try to kill them? If you were going to hurt someone then you should at least know them so that you had a legitimate grudge against them. Honestly, what were these dark guilds coming to? It was bad enough that she had to deal with a half-naked idiot that kept screaming "manly", she didn't need any more nuisances.

A new problem presented itself, however, while she and Elfman were fighting Rusty Rose, namely Elfman. Or rather the fact that Ever didn't know his fighting style and was therefore hesitant to leave him unguarded. She could have easily defeated the poem-saying idiot on her own but it was her duty to protect Elfman so she held back. She apologized to him for it, tears shining in her eyes. If he had only picked someone else, someone who knew Elfman well enough that they could trust him to take care of himself. If only…

She was beyond relieved, when upon waking up back at the base camp after Elfman had heroically carried her there, she saw her beloved brothers there, fighting to protect them. However, they too were struck with the same problem that she had been earlier; not only did they not know if they could trust the others to fight on their own but also there were too many people around for them to let loose. If any of the Thunder Legion tried to utterly destroy the interlopers, then they ran the risk of hurting their fellow guild members and that was completely unacceptable.

"Are you doing okay, Ever?" Bickslow asked her once everything had been taken care of. He sat cross-legged next to her, his hand running through her hair.

"I'm fine. How's Elfman?"

"A real man doesn't need his injuries healed by someone else," a loud voice cried.

"Never mind," she sighed. "I can see that he's just fine."

Bickslow grinned. "A real man is always fine," he mocked.

Evergreen sniggered. "You're mean," she scolded. "He did his best to take care of me."

"We know," Freed appeared at her other side. "He's already apologized for not protecting you properly."

"He what?!" outraged the woman sat up. "Take me to him."

"Sure thing," Bickslow easily picked her up and carried her to where Elfman was complaining about Wendy healing him.

"Evergreen!" Elfman exclaimed once he saw her. "You shouldn't be up."

"I agree," Wendy said but was ignored.

"Let's get something straight, buster," Ever growled, clutching his white hair and yanking him towards her. "I am not some weak delicate flower that you have to protect. I am a strong, independent woman that can kick your ass any day of the week and saying otherwise is just plain rude and very insulting. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Elfman nodded as best he could with her still holding his hair. Even a real man like himself knew better than to try and argue with a woman, especially one that looked as angry as she did and was backed up by two amused looking men.

"Good," she smiled sweetly and released him. "Now, behave yourself and let Wendy heal you or else I'll have Bickslow control you again, okay?"

"Okay. And for the record I wasn't trying to insult you or anything like that I just didn't want them to kill me," Elfman explained.

"I suppose that you're forgiven," Evergreen said reluctantly and waved her hand. "You can take me back to my temporary bed now, Bickslow."

"Your wish is my command," the seith mage turned around and took her back.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Since we got to watch the S Class Trials on DVD I saw no reason to rehash the entire thing. In fact, the only reason I even included this chapter was because this is where Evergreen and Elfman's relationship got off to a good start. Also, I haven't seen any of the episodes after Natsu took down Hades so from here on out nothing is going to be canon. I'm not going to do the seven-year skip (mostly because I didn't like how everyone looked after that) or Fairy Tail's disbandment or anything else. There's also not going to be any romance other than Ever and Elf but that's going to be more of a "we're dating so our families have to learn to get along" thing. The next chapter should be longer and hopefully better written. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	16. Family Dinner

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 16: Family Dinner

Once the S Class Trials had been concluded and Laxus had left once again (Freed had literally spent an hour crying) things started settling down a bit and going back to what passed for normal at Fairy Tail. However, there were a few subtle differences. Gildarts and Cana often went out on jobs together, seeming to enjoy merely being in each other's company. But what surprised everyone the most (Lisanna, however, wasn't shocked) was Evergreen and Elfman. She often chose to sit at the bar if he was there as well, cheered him on in the daily brawls and was occasionally seen staring at him at sighing (she did turn Gray to a statue when he pointed out her odd behavior). Elfman was also behaving strangely; he opened doors for Evergreen, treated her brothers a lot more nicely than he used to and always paid her drinks.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that they were dating," Mira complained one day, watching the two of them stare at each other from across the room.

"In Edolas they were engaged," Lisanna grinned as she grabbed a tray of drinks to take to Natsu and Lucy's table.

"They were?" Mira looked torn between being horrified and thrilled.

"Yep. Gotta go deliver these drinks," Lisanna giggled as she left. She didn't talk about Edolas much and certainly not about the Thunder Legion and her siblings had been supportive of her decision to remain silent. She would tell them when she was ready, Mira would always say whenever Elfman brought up the subject.

As she walked up to Natsu's table she could hear the complaints of the occupants, namely Lucy as Bickslow's babies flew around chanting, "Cheerleader."

"Natsu, make them go away," Lucy ordered.

"Okay fine," Natsu rolled his eyes and casually shot a small flame towards the dolls. They quickly lunged out of the way, however, and were preparing their counter attack when Lisanna arrived.

"Natsu, you big meanie," she scolded.

"What? How am I a meanie? They were the ones annoying Lucy," the Fire Dragon Slayer argued.

"They probably just came over to say hello and you tried to set them on fire," Lisanna scolded. She held out her arms and the babies instantly flew over to her. They were fully capable of defending themselves but interference outside of the Thunder Legion was virtually unheard of so they eagerly welcomed it. Besides, if this helped Papa and the others make more friends then so be it. "Poor little things," she cooed.

"But-but," Natsu stammered.

"Ignore the big bully," she told them as she turned and headed over to the Thunder Legion's table. "Here you go," she smiled as she let go of the babies. "I believe these belong to you."

The three of them stared at her, mouths agape.

"What?" she blinked.

"Why did you help them?" Freed finally managed. Their reactions would have been almost comical were it not for the current situation. Then it was just sad.

"Why not?" she shrugged.

"Why?" Evergreen repeated.

"Well since you and Elfman are practically dating," Lisanna ignored Evergreen's protests to the contrary, "that technically makes us family," she smiled.

"Family?" the three of them croaked.

"Yep, gotta go," and Lisanna left.

Silence reigned over their table for the next minutes before Freed finally broke it. "I must confess the thought had never even occurred to me."

"Me neither," Bickslow agreed.

"We are not dating!" Evergreen protested.

For once the boys ignored her, however, and continued with their current discussion.

"We have not been treating them like family," Freed said worriedly. "We must rectify that immediately."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Bickslow was starting to get suspicious.

"Plan," the babies said happily. They knew letting Lisanna help them out had been a great idea.

"We could invite them over for dinner," Freed suggested.

"There have been worse ideas," Evergreen sighed although at the moment she couldn't think of any. Honestly, if she had known it would cause this much trouble she would never have been Elfman's partner.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Bickslow didn't sound very thrilled either.

"It's settled," Freed stood up. "I shall go issue the invitation." He turned and walked over to the bar where Mira was wiping down the counter.

"Hello, Freed," she smiled as soon as she saw him. "What can I get for you?"

The rune mage ruthlessly pushed down his unease and said, "Would you and your siblings like to come over for dinner this Friday?"

Mira blinked at him. "Dinner? At your house? I thought you guys didn't do guests."

"We don't," he said truthfully. "But since Elfman and Ever are practically dating it was pointed out that we are practically family. If that is the case, then we should get to know each other."

"That's so sweet," Mira squealed. "Of course we'd love to come."

"You will? H-how does six-thirty sound?"

"It sounds wonderful."

"Any food allergies?" Freed remembered to ask.

"Nope," Mira shook her head after thinking it over for a moment.

"We'll see you then," Freed bowed slightly then retreated to their table. "She said yes."

"So does anybody know to what do when having guests over?" Bickslow asked.

"Crap," Freed muttered as his face fell.

And so this marked the beginning of a new era for the Thunder Legion; an era that started with a dinner and whose end was nowhere near in sight. That was the era known simply as Strauss or, if you wanted to get fancy, Destroying All Comfort Zones and Adding to the Family. Either way, it was a most fascinating era that was filled with both happiness and sadness, but mostly happiness.

The three were faced with a most terrible challenge in the wake of Lisanna's words and Freed's impulsive actions; entertaining guests. The only visitors they had had ever had before were Porlyusica and Master Makarov, neither one of which had ever really been considered guests. But the Thunder Legion faced this new challenge head-on and each went about solving it their own way; Freed browsed first his own personal library then the guild's much smaller library. Evergreen simply threatened to turn Lucy to stone again if she didn't tell her, unfortunately Lucy had very little experience with actually entertaining invited guests so that they enjoyed themselves. Bickslow considered his options very carefully then simply went and asked Master Makarov what they were supposed to do. It should be noted that he was also the only one who gained any results as the only thing the others learned was how to place silverware properly and that Lucy needed a top-class security system.

* * *

"I still can't believe we're actually going to the Thunder Legion's house for dinner," Elfman said once again as the Strauss siblings walked to the aforementioned house Friday night.

"I know," Mira nodded in agreement. "From what the Master told me, we're the first guests they've ever had. And it's all thanks to you and Evergreen practically dating."

"We're not dating," Elfman hissed.

"You're in denial," Lisanna told him. "I have to admit though; I'm kind of curious about what their house looks like. In Edolas they had a small cottage in the middle of nowhere but I don't really see them in a cottage."

"Not if Freed's library is as big as Bickslow says it is," Mira sighed.

"He also thinks cooties exist," Elfman grumbled.

"Be nice," Lisanna said warningly as she glanced at the directions Freed had been kind enough to write down. "According to this we should be just about there. It says that if we don't see the house then just keep walking and we'll see it in a second."

"That's very good," Mira smiled happily.

The siblings continued walking then stopped in surprise. The house had literally appeared out of nowhere, yet when they turned around they could still see the path behind them clearly. Mira frowned in thought then cautiously held her hand up and runes appeared.

Mira giggled. "They put up a rune barrier that would prevent any non-Fairy Tail members from entering."

"Well that's one way to keep trespassers out but a real man,"

"How about we not insult our hosts?" Lisanna raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"A real man never insults his hosts," Elfman insisted.

"If you keep talking like that I'm going to barf."

They turned to see Evergreen standing there, an unamused look on her face as she fanned herself.

"Freed sent me to escort you to the house, something about it being my fault that the three of you are here anyways. I keep telling them that,"

"We're not dating," she and Elfman said in unison.

"Aw they're thinking alike, they're so in love," Mira sighed happily.

"We are not!"

It took quite a few minutes but eventually the Strauss siblings managed to enter the house. the living room had very little furniture, an armchair, a couch and a coffee table, which was surprising given its large size. In the corner was a large stack of board games which, now that Mira thought about it, was probably the reason why there was no other furniture.

"It's a pleasure to see you," Freed appeared in the doorway, looking a little different without his coat and sword.

"Thank you for inviting us," Mira held out the basket she had been carrying. "I brought muffins."

"Thank you," Freed looked a bit confused as he took the basket from her.

"It's rude to visit someone for the first time and not take something as a gift," she explained.

"Ah," Freed nodded. That did explain the box of doughnuts Master Makarov had brought on his first visit. "I'll just put these on the table; it's not wise to disturb Bickslow while he's cooking."

"I said I was sorry," Evergreen sounded slightly petulant.

Freed was not amused. "You set fire to the salad," he hissed. "A salad that was nowhere near anything flammable!"

"Well at least I didn't put motor oil in the soup like Bickslow did," she shot back.

"Maybe we should just come back when someone else is cooking," Elfman suggested, looking slightly green.

"That was over twelve years ago; he hasn't made a mistake like that since then," Freed hastened to assure them.

"Dinner is served," Bickslow bellowed from further back in the house.

"Right this way," Freed ushered them into the dining room where they all took their seats.

Bickslow entered the room and sat down a tray of steaks. He looked the most different of all, having opted to leave his visor off and to switch his costume for jeans and a t-shirt, having been told that it was impolite to wear one's costume when entertaining guests.

"The food looks delicious," Lisanna smiled.

"Thanks," Bickslow grinned then sat down next to Freed, his babies flying in the air behind him. "Dig in."

Dinner was not a very quiet affair. Bickslow made jokes the entire time while Freed tried to reprimand him but Mira was laughing so hard that he couldn't, in good conscience, deprive their guests of anything that made them happy. Elfman kept shouting about how a real man always enjoyed his food with gusto even though Evergreen shouted right back that a real man didn't make such a racket. Lisanna enjoyed the show, laughing and stealing food from her brother's plate when he wasn't paying attention. It was fun, messing with his head like that.

After dinner was over they moved to the living room where Bickslow proposed that they play a game instead of cleaning up the dishes. Everyone agreed but then they had to agree on what game. The next ten minutes were filled with arguing and pillows being thrown while the Thunder Legion watched wide-eyed from the sidelines. Eventually they came to an agreement and they all sat on the floor as they played Monopoly.

"We had a wonderful time thank you," Mira said as they got ready to make their departure.

"As did we, thank for accepting our invitation," as formal as ever, Freed bowed his head briefly.

"The food was awesome and the game was pretty fun too," Lisanna giggled.

"It was very manly," Elfman agreed.

"Say that one more time," Ever hissed.

"Thanks for the muffins," Bickslow handed the basket back to Mira.

"Did you already eat all of them?" she asked, looking in wonder at the empty basket.

"Yep," the big man smiled proudly.

"Yep," his babies chorused.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! I can't guarantee a chapter tomorrow as my day's going to be pretty busy but I should have another one Saturday at the least. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	17. Womanly Advice

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 17: Womanly Advice

Lucy entered the Guild Hall and looked around the room, automatically eliminating members as soon as she thought of them. Eventually her eyes fell on the table in the corner and she strode towards it determinedly. Upon reaching it she slammed her hands on the table and demanded, "How?"

"How what?" Evergreen took another drink from her glass and coolly observed the girl in front of her, successfully hiding her shock at the abrupt greeting.

"How on Earthland do you deal with two males and not kill them for destroying everything?" Lucy asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh," Evergreen sat down her glass and actually smiled. "Have a seat, dear."

"We'll take that as our cue to leave," Freed stood up gracefully then he and Bickslow headed over to the bar.

"So what seems to be the problem?"

"What isn't the problem?" Lucy groaned. "Natsu and Gray are the most destructive people I have ever met! I've tried yelling at them but that doesn't seem to do any good."

"Hmm," Evergreen thought for a second. "Let me tell you a story; a couple of years ago I was dating this guy, he seemed okay but he drove me nuts. He was always making dirty jokes or trying to kiss me but he always brushed it off as a joke. Then one day he said something not at all nice about Freed so do you know what I did?"

"Turned him to stone?" Lucy suggested.

"Of course not! I told the boys every single little thing he had ever done that drove me nuts and so they beat him up for me. The key, my dear, is manipulation."

"Yeah I don't think that would really work on them," Lucy laughed nervously.

"But it might work on someone else. Think about it; there is one person on your team that they're both scared of and she is so very easy to manipulate."

"Erza? But how am I supposed to manipulate her?"

"What's her weakness?" Evergreen whispered in Lucy's ear. "What's the one thing that will make her lose her cool and become outraged?"

"Oh I see," Lucy brightened. "Thank you so much, Evergreen, you've been a really big help." Impulsively she hugged the older woman who froze like one of her stone statues then slowly reached out and patted Lucy on the back.

"You're welcome," she managed as Lucy all but ran out of the building.

"So what'd the cheerleader want?" Bickslow and Freed reappeared at her side.

"Advice on how to handle messy, unruly boys," Ever tossed her head.

"But we're not messy," Bickslow pointed out.

"Indeed, if anything you're the messy one, not us," Freed agreed.

"Shut up," she waved her fan at them. "But we might want to stick around for the next couple of days just in case."

"This is gonna be good," the seith mage cackled.

"Good," the babies echoed the laugh.

* * *

Two days later there were more people than normal at the Guild Hall, having been informed by Mira who found out from Elfman who heard it from Evergreen, that something interesting was going to go down between Erza, Natsu, and Gray. Of course the three aforementioned wizards had no idea that anything was going to happen and so went about their day normally.

It was early afternoon when Lucy burst into the Guild Hall, looking about wildly. Her gaze fell upon Erza and she ran to the older wizard. "Erza," she wailed, tears running down her cheeks.

"Lucy," Erza was genuinely startled and stood up to greet her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Natsu and Gray," she sniffed.

Erza heaved a heavy sigh. "What have they done this time?"

"Gray froze over my bathtub again, while I was in it then Natsu tried to melt the ice by using his fire and caught my dresser on fire."

Erza froze. "The one with the, ah, frilly things?" her voice squeaked.

"Uh-huh," Lucy nodded vigorously. "But that's not even the worst part."

"What could be worse than that?"

"Well I wanted to do something special for you since you're one of my closest friends and like a sister," Lucy explained, inwardly smirking when she saw the requip wizard's eyes shining. "So I thought I'd make you a strawberry cake with extra whipped topping but Gray and Natsu ate it!"

"They what?!" Erza was beyond furious. How dare those two imbeciles eat her strawberry cake? Worse yet, it was strawberry cake that had been lovingly prepared by Lucy's own two hands. She guided Lucy to the bar and said, "Don't you worry about a thing; I'll make sure that they pay for their transgressions. Mira, get Lucy whatever she wants and put it on my tab."

"Sure thing," Mira smiled.

"Thank you so much, Erza," Lucy sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'll make you another cake this weekend, I promise."

"I appreciate it," Erza smiled. "Natsu! Gray! Where are you?"

"What's with all the yelling?" Natsu complained as he and Gray walked in.

"Vile monsters!" Erza shouted as she lunged at them.

"Run!" Gray dove out of the way.

"This is for my cake!"

"What cake? Not there, don't skewer me there please!" a panicked Natsu ran around in circles, Erza right on his heels.

"The two of you have provoked my wrath and none shall escape! Heaven's Wheel!" fifty swords appeared in the air, causing silence to fall over the building.

"Mommy," Natsu whimpered.

"We have obviously been underestimating her deviousness," a wide-eyed Freed commented.

From her position at the bar Lucy giggled then gave a thumbs-up.

Evergreen smiled and returned the thumbs-up. "So did you get it recorded?" she asked.

"This is definitely going in my collection of favorites," Bickslow grinned, showing her the recording lacrima in his hand.

"I've actually got a better idea," Freed said slowly.

* * *

"Huh?" Laxus raised an eyebrow as he opened the package. "A video lacrima? What the hell? If this is another one of Bickslow's attempts to train the babies to do tricks, I'm going to throw something at him."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Not sure how long or when the next chapter will be. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	18. Mystogan

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 18: Mystogan

 _The first time that Mystogan ever saw them was purely by accident. He had been on his way to accept a job when he both heard and felt a massive explosion. Curious, he went to investigate only to discover that Laxus had beaten him to it. He stayed back and watched as Laxus found three children buried in the rubble and offered to let them join Fairy Tail. Deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to let four children (three of whom were wounded) wander around by themselves Mystogan took it upon himself to escort them back, secretly of course._

 _He followed them for three days and nights and, after making sure that they had arrived safely at their destination, went to Porlyusica's. She would no doubt be called upon to fix their injuries and she could fill him in a little bit more._

 _She didn't seem surprised when, upon returning to her cottage, she found him perched in a tree outside the house. "Should have known you were involved," she huffed. "Don't worry; the little brats will live. Makarov suspects they were part of the Magic Council's illegal experimentation. Apparently the three of them possess dark magic or something, I didn't really care. He's going to ask them to join the guild, I do know that."_

" _That's good," Mystogan smiled. "I believe those three would make excellent members of Fairy Tail."_

* * *

Not long after he had returned to Edolas Mystogan discovered something very important that he probably should have considered before coming back; he hated being a ruler. He hated the boring meetings and having to listen to pompous windbags all day (although he now understood why Master Makarov had taken such a perverse pleasure in pissing off the council), having people fawn over all day was beyond annoying but he especially hated the fact that he no longer had freedom to do as he pleased.

He couldn't stand being stuck in that dreary castle all day with all of his father's disgraced elite to keep him company. After banishing his father Mystogan had gone through each of their files so as to thoroughly educate himself and immediately wished he hadn't. He was also now wishing that he had executed them when he had the chance. He couldn't believe that someone who he had once considered a friend could so ruthlessly slaughter hundreds of innocent people, including members of his own guild.

Fairy Tail was vastly different in Edolas but he still reserved some fondness for it. After all, in Earthland, it had been his home and while he hadn't been able to make many friends due to the need to keep his identity a secret he had still cared for each and every one of them. As he read through the list of deceased members he found it extremely difficult not to cry. Macao had lost his teenaged son, Romeo, Meister, Loke, Gildarts, the list just went on and on. The names at the bottom of the list, however, caught his attention for they were the only members he had ever spent any real time observing, Laxus and the Thunder Legion.

* * *

 _About a year or two later Mystogan stumbled upon the Thunder Legion by accident once again. This time, however, they were sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs. Or rather they were trying to but they weren't actually very successful at it. Evergreen was trying to maintain a two-foot distance so she didn't catch anything on fire, which meant her food wasn't getting cooked. Freed's voice could be heard as he attempted to explain the proper methods for cooking food and why this wasn't one of them to Laxus who kept burning his food. But the most entertaining of all was Bickslow who was standing on his hands and holding the stick with his marshmallows on it between his toes._

 _Mystogan had to cock his head to the side and then bite his tongue so he wouldn't burst out laughing. It was just so…ridiculous yet heartwarming at the same time. He stayed in the mountain above, watching as they argued over where everybody was going to sleep, whether or not to put out the fire and that Bickslow was no longer allowed to tell ghost stories. Mystogan had to agree with them on that one; for such a funny kid he knew some really spectacular ghost stories that were guaranteed to keep their silent watcher up all night._

 _When morning broke the next day Mystogan had already left but not without wishing them good dreams._

* * *

All chatter in the room stopped as Mystogan entered the Fairy Tail guild. He had ordered his bodyguards to stay outside, ignoring all of their protests. Fairy Tail was still Fairy Tail, sure there were differences but they were same where it counted the most.

"Greetings, I am so sorry to startle you."

"So what can we lowly guild people do you, King Jellal?" Lucy Ashley asked, somewhat mockingly with just a hint of respect.

"Please, call me Mystogan. I much prefer that."

"All right, so Mystogan, what can we do for you? We're not moving our Guild Hall again if that's what you're here about."

Mystogan's lips twitched. "Actually I'm here to hire you."

Lucy blinked. "Say what?" behind her all the other guild members were now whispering among themselves excitedly.

"Rebuilding this world is going to take a lot of work and not everyone will be willing to go along with the fact that there is no longer magic here. You can keep accepting your regular job requests but I want you and the other guilds that have reformed to keep your eyes and ears open and stop those who would disrupt our newfound peace. Also, you will report these people to me so that I know exactly how much of a threat they are."

Lucy cocked her head and regarded him curiously. "Why are you doing this for us?"

"In Earthland I was a member of their Fairy Tail," he explained. "So I suppose you could say it's sentimentality."

"They were a fine Fairy Tail," Lucy agreed then held out her hand. "Alright, we'll accept. We may use a few non-guild members to help us out. Levy's boyfriend in town is a reporter, pretty good one at that."

"That is acceptable," Mystogan shook her hand. "Before I leave, I wondering if I could visit your cemetery so that I might pay my respects."

"I'll take you," Mira Jane offered, shooting a quick glance at Lucy. "I wanted to go visit some of the graves myself anyways."

"Thank you."

It was a short, silent walk to the cemetery. Mira would glance at him every so often and open her mouth as if to say something but would shut it again. Mystogan pretended not to see and instead focused on the bouquet of flowers he held. His guards had held it for him until he left for the cemetery, having brought so that he could properly pay his respects.

"Are the Mira and Elfman in the other world, are they, are they nice people?" Mira finally blurted out, blushing when she was through.

"They are very nice, they will take good care of Lisanna for you," Mystogan had used his father's vast network of spies to glean as much information about what had happened while he was gone, plus he had always had his own suspicions about what had truly happened to Lisanna when she 'died'.

"That's good," Mira nodded. "I always knew that it wasn't our Lisanna but I didn't think she would be able to go back home either so we just took care of her as best we could."

"I'm sure you did," Mystogan said kindly and placed a hand on her shoulder consolingly.

"Well here we are," Mira said a bit too brightly for someone who was standing in the middle of a cemetery.

Mystogan hid a wince at the vast number of tombstones and began walking around, placing a flower at each one and recalling a brief memory for each person.

"Did you know them well?" Mira asked when he lingered the longest at the Thunder Legion's graves.

"Yes I did," while he had only technically met them twice and one of those times Laxus had been trying to kill everybody he could honestly say that he knew more about them then any non-Thunder Legion member of the guild.

"How are they in your world?"

Mystogan thought about it for a second before answering. "Devoted to one another. They will defend each other until their dying breath and woe to anyone who challenges them. They're a bit on the reclusive side but they're trying to make friends now. It's not going very well but at least they're making an effort."

"That's good," Mira nodded. "After Lisanna came back to us she became very good friends with them. So I'm sure that she'll reach out to them, if for no other reason than that."

"I'm very glad to hear that," and Mystogan truly was. There had been many times over the years when he wished that he had simply introduced himself to them earlier and attempted to make friends if only so they wouldn't have been so alone after Laxus had left. But perhaps it was for the best, he didn't think they would have handled him leaving very well.

* * *

 _The first time Mystogan actually met the Thunder Legion was purely a coincidence. He had just finished slaying a monstrous beast and was about to leave the cave when they appeared in the entrance._

" _Aw, man," Bickslow complained. "Somebody beat us here."_

" _Laxus, do you know this person?" Freed inquired._

" _You're Mystogan, right? Gramps mentioned what you looked like once," Laxus frowned._

" _You don't look like much," Evergreen frowned as she tried to fan away the foul odor emanating from within the cave._

" _You're being rude," Freed chastised the girl._

" _I'm bored; can we go now?" Bickslow whined._

" _Go now?" the babies questioned._

" _It was a pleasure to meet you," Mystogan bowed. "But I'm afraid I must be going now. I wish you well on your journey." He exited the cave and walked away, ignoring the little voice in his head that said this could have been his chance to make friends with them. "Good luck to you, Laxus, and to your Thunder Legion," he said quietly._

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! This is to make up for the other Edolas chapter and because Mystogan is one of my favorite characters. Sorry for the lateness of the chapter but my internet is kind of broken. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	19. Tragic Beginnings

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 19: Tragic Beginnings

Mira Jane was enjoying a rather quiet day at the bar. Cana was out on a job so, thankfully, there were no drinking contests. Which was nice because Mira, along with everyone else, was waiting for the new issue of Sorcerer Weekly to come out. It was coming out later in the day than normal and last week they had hinted at a really big story that would shake the very foundations of their world. Mira highly doubted that but she was still eager to read it especially as they hadn't even needed her to do a centerfold for them.

Just then Max burst in, having been designated the official representative of Fairy Tail to collect their individual copies. "Hey, guys, look at the cover! It's the Thunder Legion!"

"They're on the cover?" Mira gasped. "They didn't mention that they were going to be doing interviews."

"I'm fairly positive that they didn't agree to this," Max moaned. "Just read the article."

The guild was completely silent for the several minutes as everyone read the article then re-read just to make sure that they had read it. "What?!" they all shouted at once.

"What's all this ruckus about?" Makarov demanded as he exited his office. Lucy wordlessly held out her copy of the magazine and as he began reading it his face paled. "Oh, no," he whispered. "How the hell did Sorcerer Weekly find out about it?"

"So it's true, Master?" Gray frowned. While he didn't actually know them all that well, learning that members of his guild had been the victim of illegal magical experimentation had shaken them all considerably.

"I'm afraid so," the old man said grimly. "This is a catastrophe both for the Magic Council and for the Thunder Legion."

"What's a catastrophe?" a familiar cut through the air, causing the Master to wince as he looked towards the door to see the Thunder Legion standing there.

Mira let out a wail and practically tackled them, hugging Bickslow tightly. "I'm so sorry," she cried.

"I didn't do anything," Bickslow yelped and hesitantly patted her on the back. "Please stop crying."

"Mira," Lisanna scolded gently as she extracted the sobbing woman. "If you're going to cry all over someone at least explain why first."

"I'm sorry," the older sniffled and thrust her magazine at them.

Freed took it, albeit rather reluctantly.

"Why are we on the cover?" Evergreen raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Freed frowned as he began reading the article, the other two peering over his shoulders. Moments later the magazine slipped from his shaking fingers and landed on the floor. The rune mage was white as a sheet and his entire body was trembling. How had they found out? How had anyone found out about the Magic Council and their illegal experiments? He looked around at all of the pitying faces and knew that they had to leave. Quickly he wrote a few runes and the three disappeared.

"Well that could have gone better," Master Makarov sighed wearily.

"I'm sorry if I scared them," Mira sniffed.

"It's not your fault, child. They're spent their entire lives trying to prove that they're strong, they don't want anyone to pity them. No one was ever supposed to find out so I'm afraid that also threw them for a loop. Just give them some time and then if you and your siblings want to go visit them it should be fine."

"Thank you," Mira wiped away her tears then started gathering up magazines. "I'm going to put these somewhere safe until they decide what they want us to do with them."

* * *

Later that afternoon, their arms laden with gifts, the Strauss siblings arrived at the Thunder Legion's house. Mira knocked at the door and, after receiving no response, went ahead and opened it. Bickslow sat in the middle of the living room floor, white cloth dolls with faces sewn on them flying around his head, his usual wooden dolls were stacked neatly in a corner. He didn't even glance in their direction or give any sign that he had noticed their presence.

"I got this," Lisanna said and went over to him while her siblings continued on. "Have you ever put together a puzzle?" she asked, setting down the puzzle box she had been carrying.

"Puzzles are boring," the dolls informed her.

She shook her head. "Not this one. It doesn't have edges or a picture."

That got the seith mage's attention as he finally turned to look at her. "Freed would hate that puzzle," he said quietly.

Lisanna giggled. "Want to help me put it together?"

"Sure."

* * *

Meanwhile, Elfman, found himself shoved into Evergreen's bedroom, courtesy of his big sister. He glowered in her direction but Mira had already left so he instead turned to face the room's other occupant.

Ever sat cross-legged on her bed, holding a fairy doll in her hands. "I got this for Christmas the year we joined the guild. It was my first Christmas present, can you believe that?"

Considering the article had said that Evergreen had been locked away in a tower for most of her childhood Elfman could easily believe that. His instincts told him to say nothing, however, so he remained quiet and let her talk.

"I'm not even sure why I kept it; I'm too old for dolls not that that's ever stopped Bickslow, and all she does is sit on my shelf and gather dust. I don't know why I keep her."

At least Elfman spoke, stepping closer to the bed as he did so. "Because she means that someone cared enough about you to put some thought and effort into getting you a present."

She tiled her head to the side and considered. "Good point," she agreed. "My father certainly never cared enough to give me a present. But who needs him anyways? At least he never gave me away."

* * *

"Hello, Mira," Freed said as she entered his room.

"Hey, how are you doing?" she asked, sitting next to him on the bed.

"I'm not entirely certain," he admitted. "I suppose we always knew that this day would come but we hoped it wouldn't."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone's got things in their pasts that they don't want anyone else to know about. There's no harm in hiding it but you can't hide here forever."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he muttered. "I don't necessarily mind people knowing that my father wanted to get rid of my magical abilities but Bickslow and Evergreen? Inadvertently, they both killed their mothers when their powers activated and people aren't going to respond well to that."

"Accidents happen, especially when magic powers activate. True, most non-magical people won't understand but we do. Fairy Tail understands and we won't judge you, I mean I was exiled from my home town because they thought I was a monster and so did I, truth be told."

"True, many of our fellow guild mates do have pasts similar to ours but you must understand; we've dealt with things on our own for so long that it's rather difficult to trust people, even you," Freed explained.

"I know," Mira smiled at him. "But we're willing to give you as much time as you need."

"I appreciate it," Freed leaned his head against hers and the two enjoyed the comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"You broke my doll!" Evergreen's outraged shriek could be heard.

"I said I was sorry!" Elfman yelled back. "A real man would accept my apology!"

"Do I look like a man to you? Fairy dust!"

Mini explosions could be heard along with crashing sounds.

"Hey, that was my puzzle!" Bickslow yelled.

"Do you know how difficult that puzzle is to put together?" Lisanna joined in on the shouting.

Soon more yells and crashes could be heard along with the sounds of magic being used.

"Are you sure you want to be part of this family?" Freed groaned.

"Are you sure you want to be part of mine?" Mira countered.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! Sorry for the lateness of the chapter but I've been sick so updating took a while.


	20. The Journey of Laxus Dreyar

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 20: The Journey of Laxus Dreyar

Thinking had never been Laxus Dreyar's strong suit; he much preferred to rush headfirst into things, relying on his magic and his teammates to watch his back if he screwed up. Now, however, he didn't have Freed to try and convince that his plan was much more logical or Evergreen to smack him with her fan when she thought he was being an idiot or even Bickslow and his babies to cheer him up whenever he was in a bad mood. No, this time Laxus had only himself and the thought was rather intimidating he was forced to admit. The Thunder Legion had been a constant in his life for the past thirteen years, even if he hadn't been very nice to them for the past two.

Laxus was determined though; he would do this. He would prove to everyone that not only was he worthy of being a Fairy Tail member once more but that he was also worthy of the devotion that the Thunder Legion had showered him with. He now realized that he didn't care if he was ever known as anything other than Makarov's grandson, as long as he got to be with his family again that was more than enough for him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he realized that the tent he had been walking towards was now in front of him. He stuck his head in and asked, "Are you the guy who's supposed to know everything about Dragon Slayer lacrima?"

"I am," the old, wrinkled man said. "Come in and sit down, young man."

Wordlessly, Laxus entered and sat down cross-legged in front of the old man. "So what can you tell me about mine?"

"You're an impatient one, aren't you? Very well then." The man began humming and his eyes glowed red as he looked at Laxus. "Lightning, very interesting. Your lacrima was put in rather improperly. You could use your powers but I'm afraid that every time you did so your body tried to reject it, causing a struggle which eventually built up and would have resulted in temporary insanity."

Laxus winced. "Yeah I remember when that happened. So the lacrima's not in there right?"

"It is now. A massive show of power finally allowed it to properly meld with you."

"So no more going insane?" Laxus asked hopefully, mentally cursing his father.

"You shouldn't have any more problems with your lacrima, however, I would suggest you try meditation. It will help," the old man suggested.

Laxus bit back a groan. Freed had tried once to teach them all meditation but it hadn't gone very well. Bickslow had given up in less than five minutes and spent the remaining time doing handstands. Evergreen had held out the longest then she started smacking people with her fan for interrupting her concentration. Freed had never brought the subject up again.

"I can see the thought doesn't appeal to you but trust me, it will help you get over any lingering negative effects," the old man explained.

"I appreciate the advice and thank you," Laxus bowed his head as he stood up.

"No problem, it was just nice having visitors. If you're going to be in this area long you should check out the circus that's in the next town over. They just arrived a few days ago. A young fellow like you might enjoy it."

Laxus paused, one gripping the tent flap. "Do you know what the name of the circus is?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Let me see," the old man frowned. "I think it was called 'Stooge's Traveling Circus'. Does that ring a bell?"

"Yeah you could say that," Laxus's smile was predatory. "I've actually been looking for that circus. A good friend of mind used to be in it a long time ago. Thanks for everything."

* * *

" _I don't want to," Bickslow scowled as he crossed his arms stubbornly._

" _Do you have any idea how long it will take to walk around the town?" Laxus glared at the other teen who showed no signs of changing his position._

" _I don't care; I'm not going."_

" _Freed, you deal with this," Laxus ordered._

" _Bickslow, be reasonable," Freed pleaded. "It'll add an extra week to our journey if we go around."_

" _No," the acrobat's response was firm._

" _Why don't you want to go through the town?" Ever asked curiously._

 _Bickslow hesitated, his babies flying to settle on his shoulders, then muttered, "My dad's there."_

" _Your father is in that town?" a hint of anger colored Freed's voice._

" _Yeah. He's a member of the Stooge circus," Bickslow admitted._

 _The four were silent for a moment then Laxus said, "So we're going around, no big deal. A little extra exercise never hurt anybody."_

" _Thank you," Bickslow hugged him._

" _No problem."_

* * *

It was easy to find the circus; all Laxus had to do was follow the signs and the smells of popcorn and animals. Once there he casually walked to where the performers lived and began searching for his prey, reading the signs on the trailers that announced who lived there.

"Can I help you?" a man wearing a top hat, no doubt the ringmaster, stood in front of Laxus looking annoyed. "The circus doesn't open until tonight."

"I'm looking for Sven, he owes me money," Laxus lied.

"Not again," the ringmaster groaned. "His trailer's that way, just don't rough him up too badly, okay? I need him to walk the high wire tonight."

"Don't worry, I promise not to break his legs. We just need to talk," Laxus grinned.

The ringmaster eyed him uneasily then hurriedly scurried away.

Laxus chuckled and went in the direction indicated. Soon he found himself standing in front of a small red trailer with a sign proclaiming 'Sven, the acrobat'. He lifted a hand and knocked, the entire trailer vibrating from the force.

"Who the hell are you?" Sven was tall, the same height as Bickslow. He had unruly black hair and piercing green eyes. The smell of alcohol clung to his clothes, causing Laxus to wrinkle his nose.

"A friend of your son's," Laxus said easily.

The acrobat paled. "I don't know what you're talking about," he managed to say. "I don't have a son."

"Sure you do. Blue and black hair, red eyes, can control people's souls, big mark on his face…ring any bells?"

Sven glowered at him but reluctantly moved out of the way. "Just get in here," he hissed. Once Laxus was inside Sven grabbed the collar of his fur coat and demanded, "How the hell do you know so much about him?"

"I told you, I'm a friend of his. I suggest you remove your hands from my coat now," a hint of a growl entered Laxus's voice, indicating that he was serious.

"He's a monster; he doesn't have friends…"

Sven was cut off as Laxus suddenly spun him around and wrapped an arm around his windpipe. "I want you to listen to me. Bickslow isn't a monster, he's a terrific guy. Sure he has an odd sense of humor and likes to play pranks on people but he's loyal and smart and funny. He's always there when you need a laugh or someone to watch your back. If anyone's the monster it's you."

A choked laugh came from Sven. "That's big talk coming from you," he gasped. "I know exactly who you are, Laxus Dreyar. Rumor has it you tried to wipe out an entire town, including my son if I'm guessing right. Sure I smacked the kid around a little but at least I never tried to kill him."

"No? You just sold him to a bunch of crooked scientists who experimented on him for two years. But you're right about me; I did try to kill him so if anyone's the monster, it's the two of us. But there is a huge difference between the two of us."

"What's that?" Sven asked.

"I'm actually sorry about what I did and I'm trying to make up for it. That's why I'm better than you," Laxus let go of the other man who fell to the floor, gasping for breath. "You're not worth killing," Laxus snorted and he turned to go, zapping Sven with a bolt of lightning as he exited the trailer.

"Well at least he didn't tear my coat," Laxus mused, checking the collar. "Maybe it's about time I went home for a little visit."

* * *

" _Congratulations!" the Thunder Legion cheered as Laxus entered the house._

" _What's all this for?" the Dragon Slayer asked as he looked around at all of the party decorations._

" _We're celebrating you becoming an S-class wizard," Evergreen explained._

" _Yes we have no doubt in our minds that you passed the trials," Freed nodded happily._

" _You did pass, right?" Bickslow asked._

" _I did," Laxus grinned._

" _Yay!" they cheered once more._

" _We got you a cake," Ever smiled. "And presents."_

" _You didn't make the cake, did you?" Laxus asked worriedly. He had just become an S-class wizard; it would be highly embarrassing if he died from food poisoning before he even got to take a job._

" _Now, now, Ever," Freed said soothingly as the girl started growling. "Bickslow made the cake without any help from us."_

" _And I made you this," Bickslow proudly held out a bulky package._

 _Warily, Laxus took it, hoping that it wasn't something that would explode in his face like his last birthday present had. "Oh wow, a coat." He held up the fur coat and examined it._

" _I was going to give it to you for Christmas but when the trials came up I thought it would make a better victory present instead," the acrobat explained._

" _Victory present," his babies agreed._

" _It looks cool," Laxus started to slip his arms into the sleeves but was whacked by Evergreen's fan. "What was that for?"_

" _Idiot," she snorted. "You don't wear it; you drape it around your shoulders. It'll look more impressive that way."_

" _She's got a point," Freed agreed._

" _Fine," Laxus rolled his eyes but did as instructed and hung the coat over his shoulders. "How does that look?"_

" _You look awesome," the three breathed, their eyes sparkling._

" _I do look pretty bad-ass," Laxus smirked. "I'm never going to take this off."_

" _We're cool with that."_

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review!


	21. Possession: Wolf Demon Style

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 21: Possession: Wolf Demon Style

The Fairy Tail guild was, for once, relatively quiet. Most of the rowdy people such as Natsu and Gray were out on a job while no one else had felt the need to start a brawl. Lucy and Evergreen sat at the bar, swapping stories on how annoying boys could be while the latter occasionally snuck glances at Elfman who was lecturing Nab on how real men went out on jobs and didn't just stand in front of the request board trying to make up their minds. Freed was reading a book he had recently bought, ignoring the tea Mira had brought him while Bickslow explained to Lisanna where he had managed to find his visor and boots.

When the door opened and Levy, Jet, and Droy stepped inside very few took notice of them. The three had just returned from a job chasing some wolves away from a village so no one was surprised that they had returned. What did surprise everyone, however, was when Bickslow stood on top of the table he had been sitting at, pointed at the three of them and shouted, "Formation E, Target: Team Shadowgear. Thunder Legion, go!"

Immediately the other two members of his team stopped what they were doing and sprang into action. Freed pulled his sword out and began writing runes in the air in front of Levy and her team while Evergreen pulled out her fan and pen and began writing as well.

"What are you guys doing?" Levy asked in confusion.

"Do not worry, Levy, or whoever you are. We will not harm you," Freed sheathed his sword.

"I'm not making any promises," Ever warned. "So what are we dealing with?"

Bickslow approached them, looking more serious than normal. "Two of 'em are possessed. All right, everyone step forward."

The three inside the runes looked confused but did as they were told. Levy exited the runes then stared in shock when both Jet and Droy ran smack into them and couldn't move any farther. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Does no one ever listen to me? They're possessed," Bickslow said.

"No we're not," Jet protested.

"Are you going to take his word for it or ours?" Droy asked.

Before Levy could say anything Bickslow took matters into his own hands and took off his visor. "All right, listen up you two. I'm what's known as a seith mage, meaning I can see and control souls. So I can tell that you're not Jet and Droy. Now, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

"What does that mean?" Droy asked, his voice sounding different.

Bickslow's grin was downright maniac and more than a little unnerving. "You can either come out on your own or I can force you out but that could kill you guys permanently."

"What about our hosts?" Jet asked. "Won't that hurt them too?"

"Oh definitely," Bickslow nodded. "But the thing is, I don't care if I hurt them or not so…" he shrugged.

"Don't hurt them," Levy begged.

"Don't worry," Freed placed a hand on her arm. "Bickslow knows what he's doing."

Seconds later what looked a green mist rose from Jet and Droy's bodies and they fell to the ground. The mist wavered then moved into the shape of two young men. They wore a combination of furs and armor and were barefoot. One had a white Mohawk while the other's hair was mostly grey with a little bit of black in the front.

Everyone in the room stared in shock at the two spirits. Levy could only gape; how long had those two accompanied her?

"That's better. So, who are you?" Bickslow grinned.

"I'm Hakkaku," the one with the Mohawk struck a pose.

"And I'm Ginta, I have dimples," the other grinned, also striking a pose.

"We are the right and left hands of Koga, the young leader of the wolf demon tribe."

"But we can't find him," Ginta suddenly looked depressed.

"We've been looking everywhere for the past two hundred years but nothing," Hakkaku added.

"We tried calling for him. We even convinced some stray wolves we found to help us but no luck," Ginta explained.

"So that explains the wolf howls they went to investigate," Ever muttered.

"Did they say they've been looking for two hundred years?" Elfman's eyes were wide.

"That's lots of reasons why you haven't found him yet," Bickslow had gained a slightly lecturing tone. "He might have already moved on. Lots of spirits move on whenever they're ready."

"But he wouldn't leave without us," Ginta protested.

"Yeah. Koga's never abandoned us before so why would he start now?"

"I'm not Koga so I don't know," Bickslow sighed. "Another possibility is that he might be trapped somewhere. A lot of times spirits, especially those of demons, get stuck wherever they died. If he happened to be on sacred ground, then he either got trapped or destroyed. Depends on how strong the spiritual energy there is."

"Destroyed?" the wolf demons repeated then immediately burst into tears and clung to one another. "Koga!" they wailed.

Bickslow groaned. "Would you knock it off? He might not even be dead; you ever consider that?"

"No," Ginta admitted reluctantly. "We never thought about that."

The seith mage let out a sigh, looking slightly annoyed. "Look here's where a lot of demon spirits hang out. Maybe someone there knows where Koga is," he held out a piece of paper which Hakkaku eagerly took. "If you do find out that he's already moved on or was destroyed and you want to move on then come back and I'll help you, okay? But if I ever have to exorcise you again I will destroy you. Is that understood?"

The demons gulped. "Understood," Ginta whimpered.

"Thanks for all your help," Hakkaku bowed then the two demons disappeared.

"Jet, Droy!" Levy ran to her friends who were beginning to stir.

"Glad that's over," Bickslow put his visor back on.

"It was certainly rather easy compared to some of the exorcisms we've performed," Freed admitted.

"They possessed Jet and Droy, why did you let them leave?" Levy sounded slightly angry.

"They're weren't malicious spirits," Bickslow explained. "If they had been I wouldn't have even let them talk, they would have been destroyed instantly. If anything they're mischievous and I don't have much of a problem with those kind of spirits as long as they don't annoy me."

"Annoy," the babies chirped. "Mischievous."

"You certainly are," Ever snapped her fan shut.

"But why did they possess us?" Jet asked as he and Droy slowly got to their feet.

"Sometimes spirits are drawn to those who have similar personalities. In some rare cases they possess them without even meaning to which is what I suspect happened with our wolf demon friends," Bickslow smirked.

"They did seem rather devoted to their leader," Freed's eyes shone with an amused glint while Ever snorted.

"I hate you," Levy scowled.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Kudos to anyone who can figure out what anime Hakkaku and Ginta are from. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	22. Edolas: First Meetings

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 22: Edolas: First Meetings

Evergreen was seven when her father took her two towns over and left her on the outskirts. "It's too difficult to raise someone who can't even see; I'm sorry," he said then left, leaving her all alone.

She highly doubted that he was really sorry but didn't think too much about it. She was never sure just how long she wandered around out there, lost and unable to tell where she was going or if she had merely been going around in circles. "Hello?" she finally called. "Is someone out there? If there is then you'll have to speak up because I can't see you." There was no answer and she sniffled, tears welling up in her useless eyes. Just then something hit her and she yelped. She bent down, her hands running over the sand beneath her feet until she found a small rock. Another one hit her hand and she smiled as she stood up. "I'll be there in just a few seconds," she promised. "Can you keep throwing those rocks though?"

And so, almost immediately, Evergreen found herself kneeling next to a person. "Hello, I'm Evergreen. Can you tell me your name?"

There was a grunt then she felt her hand being placed on the other person's stomach where she could feel something wet and sticky. "You're hurt," she gasped. "I don't know what to do," she burst into tears.

A hand reached up and began brushing away her tears.

"Thank you," she sniffed.

Just then she could hear the familiar sounds of a vehicle and she immediately brightened.

"What on Earthland happened?" a male voice demanded.

"Please help," Evergreen tilted her head in the direction of the voice. "I don't know what to do."

"It's all right," a hand settled on her shoulder. "You did the best that you could so don't worry about it. Do you have anywhere to go?"

"No."

"I guess you'll be coming with us then," the first voice sighed.

And go with them she did. It didn't take her long to learn that the boy she had helped was a mute named Bickslow and his friends, Freed and Laxus, were the ones who had found them. The three of them invited her to join their team, the Thunder Legion. She eagerly accepted, thrilled that they would want a blind girl to help them but, as Freed explained it, they already had a boy that couldn't talk so they were pretty sure that she wouldn't be any more trouble.

Once Bickslow's wounds were healed they set out on their first job together. It wasn't as difficult as Ever had thought, having heard rumors of how bad they could be. Apparently not every magic-user went chasing down giant monsters, something she was eternally grateful for. She had worried about finding her way around but Bickslow had simply taken her hand and led her to their destination.

The four of them quickly settled into a comfortable routine and Evergreen loved every minute of it. After finding out that she didn't know how to read Braille Laxus immediately found several books on the subject and began teaching her and Bickslow who had expressed a desire to learn. Freed claimed that he wasn't interested but, Bickslow wrote in Braille on her hand, he had caught the self-proclaimed thug with one of the beginner's books.

Bickslow taught her how to be self-sufficient; how to fix her hair and not have it looking like a crow's nest (Freed's description). He explained how to count her buttons so she didn't miss one and leave her dress crooked.

Freed simply gave her a pair of sunglasses and a cane so she could get around the Guild Hall and their flat. Although he did tell her not to let anyone treat her like she was stupid; just because she couldn't see didn't mean that she was an idiot. He sounded unusually bitter when he said that so Ever nodded then asked Laxus about it at the first opportunity.

"Freed's a bit slow," Laxus explained. "And Bickslow has the mind of a child so people are always making fun of them or treating them like they can't do anything."

Evergreen simply nodded; her father had treated her like that her entire life until he had finally gotten fed up and dumped her. A normal person would probably hate him but, if he hadn't done that, then she would never have gotten to know Laxus and the others and in her mind that was something to be thankful for.

One of Evergreen's favorite things in the world was Friday night when Laxus would read his books to them and then explain his own theories about it. Sometimes he read fairytales (the children's version) and then he would tell them the adult version which was really quite disgusting in Ever's opinion. But the book they had all enjoyed the most was the one on alternate universes.

"So there's more than one Edolas?" Freed frowned.

Bickslow must have signed something because Laxus spoke. "That's right; Earthland is an alternate universe but I suspect that it's not the only one."

"It's not?" Evergreen gasped.

"Nope. Every time we make a choice we create an alternate world where we didn't make that choice. Of course some of them are completely different from ours. For example, in one we might not be the Thunder Legion. In fact, we might not even exist."

That night, when Evergreen went to bed, she laid awake and pondered on what Laxus had said. There was more than one version of the Thunder Legion? That was certainly cool although she couldn't help but wonder what they were like. Was there a world where she could see and Bickslow could talk? Or were they all crazy and locked away in a mental institution? Did they have magic like they did in Earthland? If so, what kind of magic? She imagined that she would have something to do with flowers, perhaps someone who grew plants. Laxus would probably have some sort of book magic and Freed and Bickslow were a bit harder. No doubt Freed would have something that would enhance his muscles so he wouldn't have to spend several hours everyday training. And Bickslow would probably have some sort of hand magic, something that would show off his long, delicate fingers.

But, she hoped, that no matter what world they were in, the Thunder Legion would always be together.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! This chapter was for two reasons: to try and expand on Edolas a bit more since we never got to see much of them in the previous ones and to bring in the possibility of alternate universes. Since my goal is to get a hundred chapters written (I'm allowed to hope) I can expand on the alternate versions of the Thunder Legion. So if anyone has any ideas, whether for their current universe or alternate ones, please feel free to share. I can't promise to use them but I will at least give them some consideration. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	23. Freed Justine

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 23: Freed Justine

It hurt to move. The thought barely registered and was just as quickly rejected as was the suggestion to stop moving. He had to keep going; he had to warn him, he had to warn Freed. Voices drifted in and out of his ears, they were familiar as were the tiny wooden blocks that pressed into him whenever his steps faltered. Their little voices urged him on and he listened, much like he had when he was little and…oh. His thoughts were wandering again; he had to focus on finding Freed and warning him that he was in danger.

His vision was starting to blur and he blinked, just barely able to make out the large building in front of him. The voices told him that they had finally arrived at their destination, that Freed was just beyond the giant doors. He wasn't sure he could open them though, but, thankfully, the doors swung open. He stepped inside, desperately trying to locate Freed but could no longer distinguish shapes from the blurs around him.

"Bickslow?" that was Freed's voice. "Bickslow, are you all right?"

Bickslow stepped toward the direction where the voice had come from but his knees chose that moment to buckle and only a pair of arms clad in a red coat prevented him from face-planting on the floor. "Freed, he's coming for you."

"Who's coming for me?" when Bickslow didn't answer Freed repeated the question. "Who's coming for me, Bickslow?"

"Your father," then the world went black and Bickslow slipped into oblivion.

For a moment Freed stayed where he was, frozen in shock. The day had started out so peacefully; he and Ever had gone to the guild while Bickslow went to see about getting some more wood for his carvings. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Bickslow would return covered in blood and his visor shattered. Nor had he expected the older man to blame his father for his condition.

"Freed?"

Startled he looked up to see Lucy standing there, sympathy written on her face. She and Natsu had followed Bickslow in, looking extremely confused.

"We had best get him to the infirmary," Freed stood up, dragging his brother's prone body with him. Evergreen appeared next to him, grabbing Bickslow's feet.

It took some doing as Bickslow was insanely tall and weighed a lot for such a slim person but they managed and as soon as he was in the bed Wendy rushed to his side and began using her healing magic on him.

"Want us to go look for the guys that did this to him?" Natsu offered.

"I wouldn't bother," Gajeel said, his arms crossed. "I'm willing to bet that anyone stupid enough to take this guy on and then tell 'im that they were coming after his friends didn't live to tell anyone about it. Am I right?"

"You are correct," Freed nodded. "Although, technically speaking, they're still alive, they're just missing their souls."

"He can steal souls?" Mira looked slightly pale from her place in the doorway.

"Yes. It's not his favorite attack but he will use it if he has to," Evergreen spoke up. She was sitting in the chair next to the bed, watching Wendy.

"I'm all done," Wendy spoke up. "I couldn't heal some parts of him but he should be more comfortable now."

"We appreciate your assistance," Freed bowed his head. "Ever, I want you to stay with him while I go have a talk with my father."

"Sure thing," Ever's smile didn't quite reach her eyes which were burning with rage.

"Wait just a minute," Mira blocked the door as Freed attempted to leave. "You don't have to do this by yourself."

"This is a Thunder Legion problem, not a Fairy Tail problem," Freed declared.

"No it's your problem which makes it ours," Mira countered. "Isn't this the reason Laxus left the three of you here, so that you would learn to trust us? We're your guild mates, we just want to help."

Despite flinching at the mention of Laxus Freed quickly straightened. "There's no reason you should have to get involved. I can handle this on my own."

"But you don't have to," Mira argued.

"Look, Freed, when my dad tried to have Fairy Tail destroyed so I would come home I felt extremely guilty and I wanted nothing more than to hurt him but no one hated me for what he did and they all went out of their way to protect me. We'll help you, you just have to accept it," Lucy's words were earnest as was her expression.

Seeing that Freed was still hesitant Mira spoke again. "You said that we were technically family which means that this is my problem as well and I want the other members of Fairy Tail involved."

"Very well," Freed sighed. He wasn't thrilled about the idea but Mira did have a good point. "You may help if you wish."

Mira beamed at him and so did Lucy. "When did you last see your father?" the blonde girl asked.

"The day he handed me over to the Magic Council. After we escaped I had a new family by then and so I had no reason to go see him. He's never once tried to contact me, most likely the only reason he's doing this now is because of that article," Freed replied.

"That would be kind of embarrassing for someone of his position," Lucy admitted.

"Juvia's back," Juvia sang as she entered the room. "Gray and Juvia went to go see who attacked Bickslow. They're members of the dark guild Cauldron Boilers."

"They really named their guild that?" Natsu sweat dropped. "That's a stupid name."

"No kidding," Gajeel agreed. "But I've heard of those morons before; supposedly they've got a couple of mages that practice seith magic."

Evergreen snorted. "Idiots. Like they could ever beat Bickslow doing that."

"I don't understand," Wendy frowned.

"People born with the ability to use dark magic are always stronger and better at it than people who learn to use it," Freed explained.

"Oh okay," she nodded. "So what's our plan of attack?"

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review! Thanks for all the reviews!


	24. Freed the Dark

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 24: Freed the Dark

 _When Freed was four years old his parents told him that he was going to take fencing lessons. Fencing, apparently, was one of the few sports that proper gentlemen were allowed to participate in. To his parents' delight he took to the sport quickly and by the time he was seven he had already mastered some of the more difficult moves. After they escaped from the Magic Council's grasp he continued practicing whenever he could. On a few rare occasions he was lucky enough to find a fellow swordsman to spar with and point out any flaws._

* * *

"But why can't I come?" Wendy asked, her bottom lip trembling as she looked up at Freed. "I can fight plus you might need my healing abilities."

Bending down so that he was on eye level with her Freed gently said, "Because someone needs to stay with Bickslow. He won't react very well if he wakes up and everyone's gone. I know some of the others are staying but they probably won't be willing to play this to keep him occupied," he pulled out a deck of cards and handed them over to the girl.

"Go Fish?" she looked at him skeptically.

"It's his favorite card game," Freed shrugged.

"Sure," Wendy agreed. As a healer it was her duty to stay with her patient besides, she loved Go Fish.

"Thank you," Freed smiled. "Tell you what, if you ever want someone to play with feel free to come over. He's always looking for someone to play with."

"Thank you," Wendy respectfully bowed her head. She knew the significance of what Freed had just offered and vowed not to let him down.

* * *

Their plan of attack was surprisingly simple: Gajeel, Natsu and some of their heavy hitters would go to the headquarters for the Cauldron Boilers while Freed, Evergreen and Mira would go to his father's house. it was a simple plan and so they had no doubts that they would win.

"You used to live here?" Mira gaped at the sight of the massive mansion.

"Only during the summers, we had a winter mansion about ten towns over," Freed told her.

"Oh my," the Take-Over mage blinked.

"We had a mansion too," Evergreen informed her.

"Perhaps we should stop talking and start fighting," Freed suggested as he pulled out his sword.

The two women looked up to see several guards coming towards them as well as a few members of Cauldron Boilers.

"How rude," Evergreen sniffed as she took off her glasses. "We were trying to have a private conversation!"

* * *

 _Unlike most children his age Freed took quickly to his studies. He devoured every book he could get his hands on and was soon reading several years ahead of his age group. His parents were proud and bragged about it to their rich friends that also had children. The only thing they didn't like was Freed's little habit of writing words in the air before putting them on paper. "Only stupid children or peasants do that," they would say but Freed simply ignored them. He couldn't find the words to explain that it just felt so…right to do things that way. Then one day, he had discovered that he could actually see the words hanging in the air. He was curious so he read more books and realized that he possessed rune magic. His parents were furious but for the first time in a long time, Freed felt happy._

* * *

It was rather easy to force his way through the small army standing in his way and Freed spared them no further thought. While Ever and Mira held off the others he simply continued walking. It had been years since he last entered this house but he still knew his way around. There was no further resistance once he passed through the front doors. No doubt his father was confident in his minions' ability to defend him. Freed would be delighted to prove him wrong.

The rune mage hesitated for just a moment outside the door to his father's study. It had been so long since he stepped foot in this room and he wasn't sure that he really wanted to face the man inside. But Bickslow had been hurt, he could have died and it was that thought that propelled him forward. "Hello, father," he said cordially as he entered the study.

"Freed?" Lord Justine gaped, obviously not expecting his son to just waltz in. "I'm glad to see you, my son. I've missed you dearly."

"If you're going to lie then at least do it convincingly," Freed snorted. "I've been gone for over thirteen years, if you had really wanted me back you could have come for me earlier and not waited until your dirty little secrets were plastered all over Sorcerer Weekly."

"That may have had something to do with it," Lord Justine admitted. "But I'm getting old, Freed, and, magic or not, you are still my son and the best person qualified to take over the estate and the family business."

"I have no interest in running cotton mines or a railroad company," Freed stated. "Surely you have some devoted employees that would love to take over the business."

His father let out a derisive snort. "Those peasants? Only someone from the Justine bloodline can run the company. That's why I had to send those ruffians to get you back."

"That doesn't justify what you did! You tried to have Bickslow killed!" Freed yelled.

"Who cares if some low-life circus acrobat dies? I thought I raised you better than that."

"I see," Freed bowed his head, his hair covering his face. "You really don't get it, do you, Father? I would far rather spend the rest of my life with that circus acrobat then spend another minute in your presence."

"I'm your father. How dare you speak to me that way?" Lord Justine was outraged. He couldn't even begin to fathom what was going through his son's head at the moment. Anyone else would have been delighted at the thought of getting to run a multi-million jewel company.

Freed shook his head. "No, you're not. I'm a member of Fairy Tail, I have dozens of brothers and sisters and the only father I need or ever will need is Master Makarov. He's been much more of a father to me than you could ever hope to be. I would give you a warning but I don't think you'll heed it so I'm going to end this once and for all." He lifted his head, his right eye glowing. "Dark Ecriture: Death."

 _The first time Freed turned into a demon he felt exhilarated, as if he was untouchable, invincible. It wasn't until later, after he had returned to his human form and he learned that he had permanently scarred his mother, that he felt guilt and realized what a huge responsibility he now had. He had so much power and he didn't even know what to do with it. Therefore, he composed a set of rules for himself. He had always liked rules, how structured they were and how controlling they could be. It was only natural that he come up with rules for his powers and he strove to follow those rules. At first he hadn't decided never to use his powers again but after using them to save his friends he realized that he could also do good, not just destroy._

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Evergreen asked as he exited the mansion.

"It went as well as could be expected. I suggest we return to the guild; Bickslow ought to be awake by now and he's going to be mad when he finds out that we didn't take him along," Freed commented.

"Good point," Ever agreed.

"I'm sorry about your father," Mira said as she brushed some dirt off of her dress.

"Thank you but it's all right. He was never much of a father anyways."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Don't know when the next chapter will be due to work. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	25. The Ballad of Evergreen

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 25: The Ballad of Evergreen

A couple of days had passed since they had gone up against Freed's father. Bickslow was completely healed and Freed had graciously offered to accompany him to get some more wood for his carving. They had invited Evergreen but she declined. She had plans of her own that she wanted to set in motion besides, Freed still felt guilty about what had happened and no doubt he wanted to apologize to Bickslow yet again.

"Mira, darling," Ever smiled as sweetly as she knew how.

The Take-Over mage blinked while everyone else at the counter took one look at them and quickly disappeared. "Hello, Evergreen. How are you doing today?"

"Wonderful. Say, I was wondering, would you like to take a little trip with me?"

"You mean like a job?" Mira looked a bit confused.

"Not exactly."

* * *

 _Evergreen could always tell when it was her birthday because they wouldn't bring her any food. The first time she could remember it happening she was five years old. Tearfully, she asked why she couldn't have anything to eat. The maid looked guilty but said that she would send up Evergreen's father and let him explain. He came up later that evening and told her that, since she had killed her mother that very day five years ago, he would not reward her. She cried herself to sleep that night but, ultimately, thought he made a good point._

* * *

"This place is gorgeous," Mira Jane stared at the mansion in front of her.

"I suppose it is although I only saw it when I was escaping," Ever mused. "That's where I lived," she pointed towards one of the towers behind the mansion.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, I do appreciate you asking me to come but why did you? I would've thought that you would take your brothers," Mira asked.

"In all honesty, I didn't want them to come. To a certain extent, they both understand how I feel but Freed just faced his father a few days ago; he didn't need to do this to. Bickslow will help him and that's why I didn't ask him. Besides, I wanted to get to know you better," Evergreen explained.

"That's so sweet," Mira cooed. "So what are you going to do exactly?"

Evergreen winced. "I'm going to go visit my mother's grave and apologize to her."

The grave for the former lady of the house was off to the side, surrounded by colorful flowers. There was a lovely stone statue of her and a plaque that read,

 _Cordelia Diana Stone_

 _Though she died to bring_

 _A monster into this world_

 _May she live on in our hearts for all eternity_

"That's not very nice," Mira frowned.

"That's my father for you," Evergreen sighed. "He never let me forget that I killed her."

"I'm sorry. Would you like me to turn into your mother?" Mira offered.

"You would do that for me?" a hopeful look was on Evergreen's face.

"Of course," Mira smiled then looked at the statue and concentrated. Seconds later she turned into a beautiful woman with long flowing brown hair and eyes.

"Mother?" Ever gasped, tears in her eyes. She hesitantly stepped forward then wrapped her arms around the other woman and burst into tears. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"It's ok," Mira whispered, hugging her back. "It was an accident; it wasn't your fault."

The two stayed like that for several minutes until Evergreen's tears had stopped. Mira finally let go and stepped back, transforming back into herself. "Are you ok now?" she asked.

"I think so," Ever nodded, wiping away a few straggling tears. "I appreciate it, Mira, thank you."

"It's what family does," Mira smiled.

"Let's go home," Ever smiled.

"Trespassers aren't allowed," a male voice said.

Startled, the two women turned to see an elderly gentleman standing there, wearing a fancy suit. He looked old and tired as he leaned on his walking cane.

"Father?" Ever gaped. It hadn't even occurred to her that she might run into her father on this little excursion. She had naturally assumed that he had died years ago.

"Evergreen?" the man looked horrified. "Is that really you? Don't kill me, please," he begged.

The woman in question looked at him rather disdainfully. He had caused her so much misery and pain…was she really willing to let him live? "I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I don't know you and we'll be leaving now. Come on, Mira."

"Coming," Mira hurried after Evergreen, stopping long enough to send a vicious glare towards the old man before they left the estate.

"Evergreen," the man murmured once more before turning to head back to the house.

Nobody had even noticed the small, winged creature hiding behind the stone statue. "Oh my beloved Evergreen, I'm so sorry," the fairy whispered as she flew away.

* * *

 _The day that Evergreen left was a cold one. Snow was falling and, in fact, already covered quite a good deal of the ground, making it difficult for a little girl to walk. She persevered, however, refusing to give up in her quest to find the fairy she had seen flying through the gardens. All of the maids and manservants that attempted to stop her were instantly turned to stone. She could never decide whether she was relived or not that she didn't run into her father._

* * *

"How was your trip?" Freed asked when the two women returned to the guild.

"Interesting," Ever replied. "And yours?"

"They tried to cheat me," Bickslow reported happily.

"Cheat Papa," the babies sounded scandalized.

"That's terrible," Mira frowned.

"Not really," Bickslow shrugged. "That meant I could take it by force and not feel bad about it."

"Yet another reason I didn't take him," Ever explained.

"I can certainly see why," Mira nodded.

"Freed, they're picking on me," the seith mage whined.

"Evergreen, stop picking on your brother," Freed said automatically. "Bickslow, stop provoking your sister."

"How did I provoke her?" an outraged Bickslow cried. "Mira, help me."

"Oh my, how ever did I get involved in this?" Mira giggled.

* * *

 _When Evergreen was a bit older she realized something very important; despite how bad she felt about turning her mother into a stone statue, if she hadn't done that then she never would have met Bickslow, Freed and Laxus. Was it worth it, she wondered? Yes, she decided, for she would far rather have the brothers she had come to know and love than the mother she had never known._

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! I know this isn't my best and I'm sorry. Please read and review!


	26. Edolas: Evergreen & Elfman

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 26: Edolas: Evergreen & Elfman

Like her fellow Thunder Legion members, Evergreen quickly made friends with many of the other guild members. Mira Jane was always up for some gossip and she got along really well with Cana, one of the sweetest people in the whole guild. But her absolute favorite person (besides her team of course) was Elfman. Like her he was considered rather weak and sensitive and was always bursting into tears. Her brothers were thrilled that she had made friends and so they didn't tease her very much about Elfman. As she got older, however, the teasing grew worse and she occasionally considered hitting them with Elfman's Magic Battle Hammer just to shut them up.

It was Evergreen's fifteenth birthday and the guild threw a big bash, like they did for every birthday and holiday. The boys had held their own private celebration at their flat before coming to the guild that morning and she proudly wore the green shawl that Freed had knitted for her. Combined with the purple and green dress Bickslow had given her and the paper fan from Laxus she presented a rather striking picture. She couldn't actually see for herself but the whistles from her brothers had told her everything that she needed to know.

"H-Happy Birthday, Evergreen," Elfman stuttered. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I'm sure you look pretty good yourself."

"N-Not as good as you," he countered.

"You're so sweet," she cooed and patted him on the cheek, having been around him long enough to know where he stood in relation to her own height.

Elfman made a peculiar choking sound then shoved a small box in her hands. "Here's your present," he said then dashed off.

Evergreen frowned. "I wonder what that was all about. Oh well," she shrugged and opened the box.

"Oh my," Laxus said as he came up to her.

"What?" she reached inside the box and felt around, her fingers encountering something hard.

"That's one expensive looking necklace," Freed commented.

Fingers brushed against Evergreen's as they picked up the necklace then placed it around her neck.

"Thank you, Bickslow," she smiled in his direction. "How do I look now?"

"Even more stunning than you did earlier," Laxus told her.

"I think he likes you; a lot," Freed patted her on the shoulder.

"Who? Elfman? We're just friends," Evergreen protested.

"Friends don't buy each other necklaces that cost one hundred thousand jewel," Freed said knowingly.

"It cost how much?!" Evergreen's voice rose by three octaves. "Elfman! Get over here now!"

"That's our cue to go," Laxus said cheerfully and the three of them hurried away.

"Yes, Evergreen?" Elfman sounded nervous as he approached her.

"Did you really spend one hundred thousand jewel on this necklace?"

"Y-yes. Do you not like it?" Elfman now sounded worried.

"Elfman, do you like me as more than just a friend?" she asked sweetly.

She couldn't see but she was positive that Elfman was blushing. "Maybe," he whispered.

"Then why didn't you say so?" Evergreen leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "If you had then I would have told you that I like you as more than just a friend too."

"Really? Well in that case would you like to go on a date with me sometime?" Elfman asked hopefully.

"I'd love to," Evergreen smiled and blushed a little.

* * *

The next three years were some of the happiest of Evergreen's life. She and Elfman went out on dates every single weekend that they weren't out on a job. They exchanged presents on a regular basis and he took her to the park so she could smell the flowers. An even nicer bonus was that her brothers liked and approved of Elfman so that made her even happier.

On her seventeenth birthday Elfman gave her some more jewelry; a ring inside of a black jewelry box. He bent on one knee to present it to her and asked her to marry him. Evergreen happily accepted and they both cried.

A few weeks later the Thunder Legion set out on another job, promising to come back soon so they could make plans for the wedding. They did indeed return but on stretchers. They had been attacked by Erza Knightwalker while they were gone. For three desperate weeks Elfman remained at Evergreen's side, desperately trying not to notice the bandage that covered almost her entire face. He had no problems with scars but Evergreen was so lovely…she shouldn't have to have one.

However, once the Thunder Legion awoke, a new problem arose. They were going to leave the guild.

"It's nothing personal," Laxus explained. "We just think it would be for the best if we left."

Lucy Ashley looked at them and had to agree. Bickslow's hands had been burned and he kept trying to pick at the bandages. Freed's arm had been broken and he still looked a bit shell-shocked. A long scar covered Evergreen's face and she seemed to be clutching her cane in a death grip.

"Evergreen?" Elfman cautiously approached her.

"I'm sorry, Elfman," she turned her head away. "But I have to go with them, they're my family."

"I know," he said gently. Truth be told, if his sisters were the ones leaving (even though Lisanna was gone now) he wouldn't hesitate to go with them. So, no, he didn't blame Evergreen in the slightest. He had always known that if she ever had to choose she would choose them every time.

"Here's your ring back," she held it out, tears welling up in her eyes.

He shook his head. "You keep it. You're the only person I would ever give it too."

"I love you," she whispered. "And I'm sorry."

"I love you too but it's not your fault. Erza Knightwalker is to blame, not you," he said fiercely.

"Goodbye, Elfman, I'll miss you."

With that Evergreen turned and walked away, her brothers falling in beside her. Elfman watched her go, ignoring the tears that were running down his face. "Goodbye, Evergreen, I'll never forget you."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please read and review!


	27. Girl's Night Out

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 27: Girl's Night Out

It was a lovely Friday night when Freed sat down at the bar. The guild was even more lively than usual due to the fact that it was the weekend and almost everyone had chosen to party there. Well, almost everyone. It was, in fact, the absence of his usual companions that drew Mira over to him the instant he sat down.

"Hello, Freed, where's Bickslow and Evergreen?" she asked curiously. She had never seen a member of the Thunder Legion in the guild by themselves.

"Greetings, Mira, and in answer to your question it's Girl's Night," Freed explained.

"Girl's Night?" Mira tilted her head to one side. "That explains Evergreen but what about Bickslow?"

"Due to the fact that Evergreen didn't have any female friends and got rather depressed about it a few years ago Bickslow offered to accompany her and it's been a tradition ever since."

"But he's not a girl," Mira pointed out.

"No he's not," Freed admitted. "But he can pull off a dress better than you would think."

"Oh," the bartender blinked then giggled. "I'd love to see him in one."

"Stick around long enough and you will," Freed smiled.

The next hour was rather quiet as Freed read from the book he had brought with him, occasionally talking to Mira or Lisanna whenever they stopped by. During one of her chats Mira, who was looking at the door, suddenly choked and shoved a bottle of whiskey Freed's way.

"But I didn't order anything," he protested.

"I think you're going to need it," she said.

"Freed," a very familiar voice called.

Freed blanched. "No. it couldn't be," slowly, reluctantly, he turned around to see Bickslow walking towards him. All activity in the guild had stopped as everyone took notice of the visibly drunk seith mage wearing a black cocktail dress walking through the building. He carried the heels he had been wearing earlier in one hand and the makeup on his face was smudged. The babies flew after him, no doubt making sure that he arrived safely at his destination.

"Freed," Bickslow grinned as he took a seat next to the rune mage, setting his shoes on the bar.

"W-what are you doing here? W-where's Evergreen?" Freed stammered, wondering what had possessed his brother to come here dressed like that. Not that he had a problem with Bickslow cross-dressing but others might and he didn't want to have to beat anyone up.

"Well Ever was throwing things at Elfman and I got bored so I came here," he explained. "Your brother owes me a new drink by the way."

"What was he doing there?" Mira asked.

"Dunno," Bickslow shrugged. "Ever and I were having a really good time."

"Real good time," his babies interjected, flying somewhat wobbly.

"We were having a drink when the next thing I know Elfman's throwing my drink at somebody," Bickslow pouted.

"They put something in the drinks," the babies sang.

"He did say something like that," Bickslow admitted. "But then Ever threw her drink at him and started cussing him out and I was bored and the babies wanted to come see you, Freed, so we came."

"We thought it would be best," Peppe said.

"Papa feels funny," Pippi added.

"And not in a good way," the other three finished.

"The five of you did well," Freed patted the little blocks of wood, his face still pale. He wasn't too worried about Evergreen as Elfman was too much of a "man" to leave her alone. His main concern was getting Bickslow back to the house. If he had truly been drugged, then there was no telling how he was going to act once it hit his main systems.

"I don't feel good. I wanna go home," Bickslow groaned, looking a bit greenish.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Freed was already gathering up his things. "We can go home and you can go to bed."

"Will you sleep with me?" Bickslow blinked up at him.

Freed ignored the fact that Mira was still listening and that his face now matched his coat. "We'll talk about that when we get home. Now come on. Babies, you too."

"Coming," the babies sang as they quickly flew to rest on Bickslow.

Freed somehow managed to get the bigger man to stand up then used his runes to teleport them back home.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Bickslow groaned, burying his face in Freed's shoulder.

"How about you not throw up on my shoulder?" Freed suggested. "Come on, Bickslow, the bathroom's this way and then if you want we can go to bed."

"Okay," Bickslow agreed.

Somehow they made it to the bathroom where Bickslow did indeed throw up several times while Freed ditched his coat and boots. Afterwards it took some convincing but Bickslow finally changed out of his dress and into his pajamas.

"Can we go to bed now?" Bickslow pleaded, adjusting the nightcap on his head.

"Of course," Freed smiled. "Did you still want to sleep with me?"

"I think so," Bickslow's face screwed up. "I don't wanna do anything but I want to sleep."

"That's perfectly fine," Freed soothed. "Remember that long talk we had when Laxus tried to set us both up with some of his ex-girlfriends?"

"That was funny," Bickslow sniggered. "Neither one of us could figure out what we were supposed to do and then you started trying to explain how being gay works to Laxus."

"And all you wanted to know was why people dated in the first place," Freed sighed. "Then I had to explain asexuality to him as well. I do believe we came pretty close to frying his brain that day."

"Ever just laughed her butt off," Bickslow sighed.

Suddenly Freed frowned. "Ever and Elfman are here. Why don't you go get in the bed, Bickslow? I'll join you in a minute."

"Okay."

While Bickslow went to bed Freed walked to the living room where he found himself the witness to a rather disturbing sight. Evergreen had tossed her shirt on the floor and was in the process of trying to unhook her bra while Elfman stood there, beet red as he protested.

"What is going on here?" Freed crossed his arms and looked stern.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Elfman cried.

"Of course it is," Evergreen purred as she tried to wrap herself around Elfman.

"Evergreen!" Freed barked, startling the woman long enough for Elfman to escape her clutches. "Behave yourself immediately. This is not proper behavior for a member of the Thunder Legion!"

"I'm sorry," she looked rather sheepish. "I don't know why I'm acting like this."

"It's alright," Freed told her. "Now why don't you and Elfman go to bed?"

"Bed?" she brightened.

"What did I ever do to you?" a horrified Elfman cried.

"The two of you will do nothing but sleep. In the morning if you still want to jump Elfman then you have my permission. Now go," Freed said firmly and waited until the two had disappeared before returning to his own room.

* * *

It was late when the front door opened and Laxus slunk in. Under ordinary circumstances he wouldn't have bothered to be quiet but it was late and he was tired. Intent on reaching his bedroom he frowned in confusion when he saw Evergreen's shirt on the floor. "What the hell?" he raised an eyebrow then sniffed the air. "That smells like Elfman," he frowned.

He followed the scent to Evergreen's bedroom where he discovered the two of them in bed together, clothes scattered on the floor. Cautiously, he smelled the air again and sighed in relief when he didn't catch the familiar scent of sex. He continued down the hall and wasn't overly surprised when he found Bickslow and Freed in the same bed. All the members of the Thunder Legion suffered from bad nightmares and had developed a habit of seeking comfort from the others when that happened.

"Laxus?" Freed tried to push himself up on one elbow but was hindered by Bickslow's arms.

"What's Elfman doing here?" Laxus asked.

"There was an…incident on girls' night," Freed said carefully.

"Incident?"

"Bickslow and Ever got drugged," the rune mage admitted. "Elfman happened to see it and showed up just in time."

"What?" Laxus snarled.

Bickslow grunted and clutched tighter to Freed while his babies made sleepy little noises from their positions between the two mages.

"Keep your voice down," Freed hissed. "Dare I remind you what happened the last time you woke Bickslow up from a sound sleep?"

Laxus winced; the seith mage had been beyond irritated and they had been followed by some very loud spirits for several days until Bickslow had forgiven him.

"I was planning on paying the bar a visit later after the two of them have recovered," Freed continued.

"Want some company?" Laxus's grin wasn't very friendly.

"Always," Freed yawned.

* * *

The next afternoon the Thunder Legion house was deathly silent. Bickslow and Evergreen both looked terrible and were currently sitting at the dining room table, clutching their aching heads.

"I'm never going to drink again," Ever groaned.

Bickslow raised a hand in agreement.

"Well the two of you owe Elfman your gratitude and, Ever, you owe him a really big apology," Freed said as he handed them each a glass of water.

"Oh no," she blanched as Elfman entered the room. "I am so sorry for everything yesterday, Elfman."

"It's okay," the Take-Over mage attempted to reassure her.

"No it's not. It was completely unacceptable behavior for a member of the Thunder Legion and I insist on making it up to you," she held her head up proudly despite the fact that her face was now turning green.

"Then will you go out on a date with me? It doesn't have to be right now or even next week but sometime," Elfman asked.

"Sure," Ever smiled then jumped up and ran out of the room, Bickslow right behind her.

"I hate to ask you a favor, especially after what you did last night, Elfman, but would you mind staying here for a few more hours? Laxus and I have an errand that we need to run," Freed said.

"Sure," Elfman shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Thanks," Freed smiled as he put on his coat. "It shouldn't take long."

* * *

"So are you the owner?"

At the casual tone the man looked up from the money he was counting to see two men lounging in the doorway. Well, one of them was lounging, the other stood straight and looked unconfutable just being there. "Owner and bartender but the bar doesn't open for another two hours. If you come back, then we've got some pretty good drinks."

"We're well aware of your drinks," the one in the red coat snarled.

"Now, Freed, let's give the man a chance to explain himself. I'm sure it'll be a fascinating story," the man in the fur coat smiled and that's when it hit the bartender; that was Laxus Dreyar and the other man was obviously Freed Justine. What had he done to attract the attention of a Fairy Tail wizard?

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said nervously.

"Last night two people came into your bar; a brunette woman and a guy in drag. While here their drinks somehow got spiked. Care to explain?" Laxus asked.

Crap. The pieces suddenly started to click and he wanted nothing more than to cry when he realized that the other two had, no doubt, been the other members of the Thunder Legion. He was definitely a dead man.

"Know what? It doesn't matter; the look on your face says it all," lightning began to spark in the air around Laxus.

"You harmed our siblings and you will pay for that," Freed pulled out his sword, a look of absolute fury on his face.

* * *

"Freed?" Makarov said a few days later when they had returned to the guild, Laxus having left the day before.

"Yes, master?" Freed was pretty sure that he knew what this was about.

"Any idea why I'm getting reports that a green-haired mage and a lightning mage destroyed a bar?" the older man crossed his arms and frowned.

"That particular bar has a bad habit of drugging their customers," Freed explained, his gaze falling on Bickslow and Evergreen who were sitting at the bar talking to Mira.

Makarov followed his gaze, his face darkening. "I see. Well then it looks to me like you did a public service. Just one more question; what happened to the owner?"

"What owner?" Freed tried to look innocent.

"Never mind," Makarov sighed.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Please, please read and review! Thanks for all the reviews!


	28. Play Date

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 28: Play Date

Wendy Marvell stomped over to the bar and sat down. She let out a heavy sigh and buried her face in her arms. Immediately, Mira went over to see what was wrong. While it was true Wendy hadn't been part of the guild as long as other people in that short time she had been nothing but sweet and cheery so, seeing her with a scowl, was definitely unheard of.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Mira asked, her mothering instincts in full gear.

"She's just being a drama queen," Carla sighed as she landed on the counter. "Wendy, buck up!"

"I'm too old," Wendy ignored her cat and answered Mira instead.

"For what?" Mira had gone through something similar with both of her siblings and suspected that she knew what was bothering Wendy.

"I'm too old to play with dolls or have tea parties and play dress-up yet I'm too young to go on a solo mission," the Sky Dragon Slayer pouted.

"Wendy," Carla groaned.

"And who told you that?" Mira's smile was a little scary and earned her a strange look from both Wendy and Carla.

"L-Lucy and Erza," Wendy stuttered. "I asked if they wanted to play with me but they said I was too old."

"Well that's never stopped Bickslow," Mira pointed out. "Technically the babies are considered dolls so…"

"Bickslow!" Wendy sat up straight, her eyes gleaming. "I almost forgot; Freed said I could come over and play with him if I wanted."

"I'll write down the directions," Mira smiled. "In fact, I'll call Freed and let him know you're coming just in case you get lost so he'll know to go look for you."

"Now wait just a minute," Carla tried to interrupt. She hadn't had much interaction with the Thunder Legion herself but she had heard stories about them besides, that Bickslow character seemed very odd. She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted Wendy hanging around him.

"Thank you so much, Mira," Wendy was so happy she tried to climb over the counter to hug the bartender.

"Wendy! Ladies do not climb over counters!" Carla shouted as she tried to tug the girl back.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Wendy asked as they walked through the mountains.

"Almost," Carla sighed, having taken charge of the directions. Wendy was a nice girl but she couldn't follow directions to save her life.

"I don't see it," Wendy frowned.

"That's because it's behind a barrier," an amused voice said.

Both Wendy and Carla shrieked then sighed in relief once they realized that it was just Freed standing behind them.

"Mira called," he continued, "so I thought I'd come out and make sure you got here safe and sound. Besides, Bickslow's been wound up all day and he's driving us crazy so we're delighted that you've come to entertain him."

"You're welcome?" Wendy said hesitantly.

"Now if you'll follow me, ladies, I believe Bickslow's getting ready for a tea party," Freed sighed.

"Yay!" Wendy cheered and hastened to follow Freed.

"Oh dear," Carla sighed as she also hurried her pace.

As it turns out, they were literally on the other side of the barrier so it only took a minute to arrive at the house. Someone in a purple dress was running around, setting up chairs and Carla fervently hoped that it was Evergreen. Alas, her wish was not granted when the person turned around and it became abundantly clear that it was Bickslow.

"Hey, Wendy," he waved.

"Hello, Bickslow," Wendy waved back, her eyes only slightly wide. Considering how many times she had seen Gray naked Bickslow in a dress didn't seem as strange.

"If you want to come in the house with me you're more than welcome," Freed whispered.

Carla considered his offer and decided that it might be best if she accepted. "That sounds lovely, thank you," she sighed.

While the two of them snuck inside the house Wendy turned her attention to her host. "I like your dress," she said.

"Thank you," Bickslow attempted a curtsy. "What's a tea party without a fancy dress?"

"Fancy," his babies said as they flew around Wendy, no doubt sizing her up. They soon decided that they liked her and that it would be for the best if they didn't zap her.

"Thank you for agreeing to play with me, everyone else said that I'm too old," Wendy said.

Bickslow snorted. "Just ignore them; that's what I do. After all, you only get to live once so you might as well enjoy it, right?"

"You make an excellent point," Wendy smiled.

"Then let's get started! We've got tea and cookies and some kind of weird sandwiches Freed made so dig in!"

* * *

"Please don't take any offense at this but your teammate is a bit odd," Carla peered out the window.

"He certainly is," Freed sighed. "More tea, Ever?"

"Thanks," Evergreen held out her cup so that Freed could fill it up.

Carla looked back outside where Bickslow was pouring Wendy some tea then she looked at the coffee table which was loaded down with cookies and sandwiches and outside again. "It's official; everyone in Fairy Tail is crazy."

* * *

Bickslow, Wendy decided, was one of the most awesome people she had ever met. He was funny and knew how to have a great time. The babies were pretty cool too; they were currently playing tag, at least that's what Wendy thought they were doing.

"So are you having fun?" Bickslow asked as he added another sugar cube to his tea.

"Oh definitely," Wendy grinned at him. "I really do appreciate you playing with me."

"No problem," the seith mage frowned at his cup then put some more sugar in it. "It's always nice to have someone to play with. Sometimes Freed and Ever play but other times they won't. You never can tell with them."

"Carla wants me to act more grown-up but then she'll call me a child five minutes later so I'm not really sure what she wants," Wendy admitted.

"Grown-ups are very confusing which is why I don't want to grow up," Bickslow said wisely.

"I'll drink to that," Wendy held up her cup and they clinked them together.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	29. Date

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 29: Date

"Well they can't say that they're not dating anymore," Lisanna commented.

"No they certainly can't," Mira agreed as she wiped down the counter.

Evergreen and Elfman had finally decided when they were going to go on the date that Evergreen had promised. However, it would have been in their best interests, had they not told their families that it would be Friday evening at the new Italian restaurant in town.

"Ever and Elfman sitting in a tree," Bickslow sang as he and Freed walked up to the counter.

"Would you stop singing that?" Freed groaned as they sat down.

"But it annoys Ever," the seith mage whined.

"Yes but she's not here," the rune mage growled through gritted teeth.

"You've got a good point," Bickslow agreed.

"Oh I can't wait until Friday," Mira clasped her hands together. "Their date's going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see how it goes. Plus, I heard that restaurant's supposed to be really good."

"Please tell me you're not going to follow them," Lisanna groaned.

"Why not?" Mira and Bickslow said simultaneously.

"Following them and then telling Ever how much she screwed up is one of the main reasons I go," Bickslow grinned.

"Same here but only for Elfman," Mira nodded.

"How would you like it if they followed you on your dates?" Lisanna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"I don't date," Bickslow said.

"I haven't been on one in years," Mira sighed.

"I've never been on one," Freed confessed.

"Never?" Lisanna stared at him.

"Well Laxus did try to set Bickslow and I up once but that didn't go very well," Freed sighed.

* * *

" _Why would you do that?" Freed yelled, glaring at his beloved leader._

" _What? I thought you guys would appreciate it. I mean, no offense but Ever's been on more dates than the two of you," Laxus said._

 _Evergreen, who was sitting on the couch, opened her mouth as if to say something then reconsidered and closed it again._

" _She's been on one date," Bickslow pointed out._

" _And the two of you have been on none," Laxus countered._

 _Freed groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Were you even listening when I told everyone that I was gay? You do know what that means, right?"_

" _That you like guys!" Bickslow cried triumphantly from his position atop the coffee table._

" _Thank you, Bickslow," Freed sighed. "That means, in very simple terms so you can understand, Laxus, is that I don't like girls."_

 _Laxus frowned. "So you don't want to go on a date with one my ex-girlfriends?"_

" _No," Freed growled._

" _All right," Laxus shrugged. "I guess it'll just be Bickslow then."_

" _I have a question," Bickslow raised his hand._

" _What is it?" considering the nature of the conversation that they were having Freed wasn't sure that he wanted to know what his brother was going to ask._

" _Why do people go on dates?" Bickslow blinked innocently._

" _Why?" Laxus repeated in disbelief. "Well to have a good time and sex. It's mostly about the sex though."_

 _Freed waited for the question that would inevitably come next._

" _But why do people want to have that? No offense but it just looks gross," the seith mage wrinkled his nose._

 _Laxus opened his mouth but no sound came out. Apparently he couldn't understand why no one would want to not have sex. The mere idea seemed to boggle his mind._

" _Did I say something wrong?" Bickslow looked worried._

" _Not at all," Freed smiled. "Laxus, have you ever heard of asexuality?"_

 _Meanwhile, Evergreen just sat there, her shoulders shaking as she tried not to burst out laughing._

* * *

Friday night finally arrived and the entire group met up at the front doors of the restaurant. Elfman and Evergreen went in first to get their table and the others went in afterwards, getting a table nearby so they could eavesdrop. Although they did have to bribe the head waiter to let the babies in.

"Thank you for agreeing to come out with me, Ever," Elfman said as they perused the menus. "Although I do wish we could have convinced our relatives to stay home."

"Agreed," Evergreen groaned as she pretended not to notice Bickslow making faces at her. "Although I hate to tell you this but the next time we do this they're going to follow us anyways."

"Next time?" Elfman visibly brightened. "You mean we can go out again?"

Evergreen grimaced once she realized what she had said. "We'll see; it depends on how tonight goes."

"What are they saying?" Mira asked.

Bickslow frowned as this babies relayed the information to him via their mind-link. "They're talking about going out again."

"Yes!" Mira pumped her fist in the air.

"Not so loud, they'll hear us," Lisanna hissed.

"They already know we're here," Freed pointed out. "But we also don't want to get kicked out before they leave."

"Sorry," Mira lowered her fist, looking abashed. "I guess I got carried away."

"So what are they doing now?" Elfman asked, having his back to their tagalongs.

"Mira's fist-pumping and oh wonderful. Bickslow and Lisanna are seeing who can eat the most," Evergreen raised her menu so as to better hide her face.

"There are very, very rare times when I wish I had normal siblings," Elfman sighed. "This is most definitely one of them."

"Agreed."

* * *

"I can't believe that you got all of us kicked out of the restaurant," Evergreen glared.

"Sorry," Bickslow and Lisanna smiled guiltily.

"It could've been worse," Freed pointed out.

"How so?" Elfman demanded, looking very put out. If he was going to get kicked out of a restaurant then he at least wanted to have done something to warrant it, not because his sister and Bickslow got into a food fight.

"Laxus could've been there," Freed smiled.

"True," Ever suppressed a shudder. He would have started electrocuting people and that always ended up in a lawsuit or two, assuming they survived it of course.

"Well this is it," Mira announced as they stopped in front of an apartment building. "You guys really didn't have to walk us back by the way."

"This way we know where you live," Bickslow grinned.

"Wonderful," Elfman groaned.

"Be nice," Mira elbowed her brother. "Would you like to come up and have some coffee or something?" she offered.

"We appreciate it but we have a busy day tomorrow and we need to get some sleep," Freed explained.

"All right then," Mira headed inside the building.

"Bye," Lisanna waved then she and Elfman went inside as well.

Once the three had disappeared from sight Freed knelt down and, after pulling out an ink pen, began writing in the dirt.

"What're you doing?" Bickslow asked curiously.

"This will let me know if anything bad happens to them," Freed explained.

"Good idea," Evergreen nodded.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys like! I would have expanded more on the date but I have no personal experience with that so I didn't know what to put. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	30. Edolas: Lisanna

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 30: Edolas: Lisanna

It took some time for the Thunder Legion to get used to their self-imposed exile as they had been socialable people and not having anyone other than themselves to interact with took some getting used to. So when Lisanna began visiting them on a regular basis they were understandably thrilled even if Laxus did have his suspicions about her.

"I think she's from Earthland," he said rather abruptly over dinner one day.

"Who? Lisanna? That's just crazy," Freed scoffed.

Bickslow, however, wasn't as sure and asked Laxus to explain himself.

"Well think about it; she just shows up out of nowhere a year after she disappeared. She has very little memory of this place and keeps getting things mixed up," Laxus pointed out.

"You have a good point," Evergreen frowned. "But if she is from Earthland then what are we supposed to do about it? It's not like we can send her back."

"True," Laxus admitted. "But we can still get information out of her like what our counterparts are like."

"That would be interesting to find out," Freed smiled.

Bickslow seemed to think so to as he gave Laxus a thumbs-up before returning his attention to his dinner plate.

"It's settled then," Laxus nodded decisively. "We'll ask her the next time she comes."

Now no one could accuse the Thunder Legion of being sneaky and clever but Bickslow was still proud of himself for coming up with a fool-proof way to ask Lisanna and not give away the fact that they knew she didn't belong there.

"Want to play a game?" Laxus asked once Lisanna had made herself comfortable in one of the chairs.

"Sure," she shrugged.

"It's called: What Do You Think Our Earthland Counterparts Are Like?" Freed said cheerfully.

"That's a weird game," Lisanna blinked.

"Not really," Evergreen explained. "I know it's difficult for you to remember things with your head injury but we used to play it all the time when we were younger."

"Y-yeah, s-sorry I forgot," Lisanna laughed nervously. "But yeah I don't mind playing again. Can you remind me about the rules again?"

Bickslow explained the rules and Freed translated. "It's simple, we pick a person and everyone says what they think their personalities and powers would be in Earthland."

"We can start with me," Laxus offered. "Lisanna, you tell us first what you think of everybody then Freed will go."

"Well," Lisanna said slowly. "I think the other Laxus would have a lot more muscles and he wouldn't be as nice. Probably more of a jerk and he would be able to use lightning to match his scar," she explained hastily.

"Way to go boss," Ever said drily. "You're a thug."

Laxus pouted for a second then quickly got over it. "Freed's turn."

"Oh joy," Freed sighed. "Well, Lisanna, what do you think I'm like?"

"Reclusive, a bit sissy looking and entirely devoted to Laxus," she admitted. "You probably have some kind of writing magic like runes."

"Sissy?" Laxus snorted.

Bickslow thought the 'devotion to Laxus' part was hilarious seeing as how the two of them argued constantly.

"What about Evergreen?" Freed scowled as he crossed his arms.

Evergreen's smile died away in an instant. Oh dear.

Lisanna hesitated for a second, no doubt sending Evergreen an apologetic look, then resumed speaking. "Stuck up and devoted to fairies. She doesn't talk to people and she turns them to stone."

"So I'm Medusa," Evergreen raised an eyebrow. "Could be worse I suppose. So what's Bickslow like?"

"Weird," Lisanna said without hesitation. "Very, very weird. He can talk to dead souls and he's just as reclusive as the rest of the Thunder Legion."

Bickslow beamed proudly.

"It's your turn, Laxus," Lisanna said brightly. "What do you think everyone's like in Earthland?"

They never confronted Lisanna about Earthland, they chose to be content in her company instead. They cherished each and every one of her visits, even if, ultimately, it was what lead to their demise.

* * *

Contrary to popular opinion Erza Knightwalker didn't attack Fairy Tail every time she spotted them. Instead, she spent a good deal of time just spying on them. This was how she learned that Lisanna Strauss had returned even though everyone thought that she was dead. Personally Erza didn't care. She hadn't been the one responsible for the girl's disappearance so it wouldn't be a blot on her perfect record. What she did find interesting, however, was the girl's bi-weekly visits to the forest. As far as Erza knew no one lived out there so, one day when she had some free time, the Fairy Hunter followed Lisanna on her trip.

Their destination appeared to be a small cottage and its occupants…no. There was no way that that was Laxus Dreyar opening the door for Lisanna. She had killed Laxus and his pathetic little friends, there was no way they could survived. For quite some time Erza just stood there, trembling in rage and fury. How dare they live! This would be a blot on her otherwise perfect record if anyone were to find out that they were still alive. But first, she needed to calm down and think this through. If she went in now and killed that Lisanna girl along with the Thunder Legion, then word would leak out and get back to her comrades and then they would know that she failed to kill them the first time around. That was completely unacceptable but if she waited until after Lisanna had left then there would be no point in telling anyone and it would send a message to those pathetic Fairy Tailers that Erza Knightwalker always got her prey.

* * *

Laxus was enjoying the rather quiet afternoon as he sat in his chair reading a book. Lisanna was supposed to come by later that afternoon and bring Bickslow the blueberry pie he had requested. Suddenly the door burst open and Erza Knightwalker stood there, sword in hand.

"I've come to claim your heads," the woman snarled.

Evergreen screamed, cowering behind Bickslow. Freed looked rather pale himself and his hands were shaking as he balled them into fists. Laxus had dropped his book and discovered that no words wanted to come out of his mouth.

"You honestly thought you could escape me?" Erza's laugh was not at all nice. "Well your time is up and I'm going to enjoy taking your heads!"

She charged forward, taking out Freed first. Laxus felt horror settle in as he watched his family get slaughtered once again. But this time, they wouldn't get back up. As Erza's sword pierced his chest his eyes fell on the clock. It was almost time for Lisanna to get here. _No, Lisanna,_ he thought as he fell to the ground. _Don't come today, please. Go back home to Earthland, you'll be safe there._ Then everything went black.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	31. Dismal Future

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 31: Dismal Future

 _Excerpts from the Dairy of Lucy Heartfilia-Dragneel_

 _Today marks the tenth anniversary of when the Thunder Legion died. Looking back, I think that's when things started to go wrong for Fairy Tail, the end of our good luck if you will. Those of us who were there that day when Bickslow came in carrying the dead, broken bodies of Freed and Evergreen will never forget that sight. He was a bit incoherent but from we could understand they were attacked by some other seith mages, some of whom were more powerful than Bickslow. He had to be sedated for several days but what got everyone's attention was the fact that, although he still had their bodies, his dolls were no longer flying or talking._

 _After the funeral Bickslow quit Fairy Tail and left, saying something about finding their souls. I didn't really understand what he meant but I could certainly understand why he didn't stay. The Thunder Legion had been his family and without them he no longer had any ties with the guild. Mira and her siblings tried to convince him to stay but he wouldn't listen._

 _It didn't take long for rumors to reach us that he was attacking dark guilds and stealing their souls. A job request to deal with him was put on the S Class board but none of us could find it within ourselves to accept it. Even the few new members we got weren't stupid enough to try and take it. The mere idea of going after someone who used to be one of our own was unfathomable. Even after Fairy Tail disbanded no other guild took the job but then we started hearing rumors that he had begun attacking towns and killing civilians. We had no choice; we had to take him down._

 _An alliance was formed, comprised of a few former Fairy Tail members such as myself and Happy and a few non-members, Jellal and Ultear. It was easy to find him; I don't think he even tried to run. I wondered if he wanted us to take him down, to put him out his misery._

" _I won't attack you," Bickslow said to Happy and I. "You were members of my guild once so I won't hurt you. But the two of you," he turned to face Jellal and Ultear. "Were never members of Fairy Tail!"_

 _His tattoo started to glow green but Ultear was quicker. "Arc of Time," she shouted, flinging one of her famous balls at him. It enveloped him and he disappeared._

" _What did you do?" Jellal groaned._

" _The Thunder Legion once prevented me from being captured by the Magic Council. They said it was 'payment for a debt yet incurred'. At the time I didn't understand but now I believe I do."_

* * *

It was a reasonably normal day at the Fairy Tail guild. There was a small fight in the corner, Elfman and Natsu were arm wrestling and the Thunder Legion was sitting at their normal table, watching the proceedings with no small amount of amusement. Suddenly there was a bright Flash of light in the middle of the room and Bickslow stood there. Everyone gaped at him then looked at the Bickslow sitting in the corner then back again.

There were several differences; this Bickslow wore no visor and his blue and black hair reached his waist. The Fairy Tail emblem was missing from his belt and his outfit was completely black. But the biggest difference of all was the absence of his floating totems. "Huh," he scratched his head. "I could have sworn I was fighting that Ultear chick where the guild hall used to be. Fascinating," he stared at his surroundings and crossed his arms. "Okay whoever's there this isn't very funny. The Fairy Tail guild hall was destroyed five years ago when the guild was disbanded and at least half of people in this room are dead. I know for a fact Natsu bit the dust a long time ago and so did Gajeel."

"Bickslow?" Freed said hesitantly as the Thunder Legion neared what appeared to be the future version of their comrade.

"Papa?" the babies sounded confused. Why were there two versions of Papa?

"Freed?" Bickslow paled and he took a shaky breath. "This isn't funny anymore. The Thunder Legion died ten years ago! I remember burying you!" His tattoo began to glow as did his hands as he lifted them in the air. "You're going to pay for this."

"Uh-oh," Natsu groaned. "This is going to hurt."

But before Bickslow could attack Freed launched his own counter-attack; he enveloped Bickslow in a hug. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. Bickslow froze, the glow dying as Freed continued to speak. "I'm so sorry that we died and left you all alone. That was unforgivable of us I know but you can't hurt everyone else in this building. Remember, we're part of the same guild, we're not supposed to hurt them."

"Is it really you?" Bickslow asked as he pulled away. "Sometimes I think I see you but then it turns out to be my own imagination. I can't hear the babies either, I haven't been able to do so for years."

"You can't hear them anymore?" Freed's voice shook. From what little he understood about the soul-link between the six breaking it could have devastating consequences. He looked in Bickslow's eyes and saw the madness there and he was terrified for his brother.

"No and I couldn't find your souls either. I tried finding them but none of the dark guilds had them so I started asking the regular people but they didn't know either," Bickslow explained.

"Oh, Bickslow," Evergreen put a hand over her mouth as tears began to well up in her eyes. She knew what her brother meant when he said that he asked people. He had looked at their souls and then taken them in retribution when they didn't give him what he wanted.

* * *

 _When Tartarus attacked we retaliated with everything that we had and we won but we paid a terrible price. Almost half of the guild was killed during the final battle; Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Jet, Droy, Elfman, Carla…and so many others. Those of us that did survive didn't escape unscathed, Erza lost her left arm and the Master lost his will to go on. He disbanded the guild on the spot and we all went our separate ways._

 _Juvia and Levy went back to Juvia's hometown and Pantherlily accompanied them, to watch over them in Gajeel's stead. Erza joined Crime Sorciere and she took Wendy with her. Mira Jane and Lisanna disappeared completely, I think they went to live in seclusion somewhere. Happy came to stay with me and I've been working as an author ever since. Some of the others joined other guilds but I just couldn't bear the thought of going anywhere else. Fairy Tail was my home and it could never be replaced._

 _Sometimes I look back and wonder; if we'd had Laxus and the Thunder Legion would we have won? Could we have survived with no loss of life? There's no guarantee but they could have helped immensely. A few years before that there was a rumor that Laxus was dead but when we investigated we discovered that the people responsible for spreading it were already dead; Bickslow had beaten us to them._

* * *

"Are you mad at me?" Bickslow asked.

"No not at all," Freed shook his head. "I'm just sad for you."

"You're crying," Bickslow pointed out.

"Papa," the babies said mournfully as they flew around their current father's head.

"I know, babies, it's weird," the younger Bickslow sighed. He had chosen to stand back as there seemed to be no need for the two Bickslow's' to talk.

"I'm tired," the older Bickslow sighed, learning forward so that his forehead was resting on Freed's shoulder.

"Then close your eyes," Freed instructed, glancing over at his Bickslow. The latter nodded grimly, answering the unspoken question. Evergreen closed her eyes then opened them back up, a look of fierce determination on her face. They all knew what had to be done.

Freed put his hands around Bickslow's neck and took a deep breath before twisting. There was a loud snapping sound and Freed caught Bickslow's limp body before it could hit the ground. "I hope you find peace in the afterlife," he whispered.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Natsu screamed, looking appropriately horrified.

"Nothing I didn't agree to," Bickslow came to stand next to his brother, glaring fiercely at Natsu.

"Natsu," the Master said warningly. "In some rare cases death is a mercy."

Natsu hesitated, looking at the Thunder Legion before grumbling, "Fine but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No you don't," Freed didn't look up. "The Thunder Legion was never meant to be separated."

There was another bright flash of light and an annoyed Jellal stood there along with Ultear.

"Please don't kill us," Jellal yelped when he saw all the mages surrounding them. "We're just here to retrieve him," he pointed at the dead Bickslow.

Freed picked his brother up and walked over to Jellal. "You will give him a proper Fairy Tail burial," the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

"Agreed," Jellal bowed his head as he accepted the body. "Ultear, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course," she nodded then looked at Freed. "Payment for a debt not yet incurred," she smiled then they disappeared.

* * *

 _Laxus came back for the Thunder Legion's funeral. The Master asked him to try and talk to Bickslow who had yet to move from their graves. Laxus looked his grandfather straight in the eye and said, "The only way I could help him is if I put him out of his misery right here and now. There's nothing anyone can do for him." At the time I thought Laxus was just being cruel but now when I think about it and all the people we lost I wonder if Laxus wasn't just being kind. He knew Bickslow better than any of us. Sometimes I wish I could back in time to when everyone was alive. We may have been young and naïve but at least we were happy then._

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry to put two sad chapters back-to-back but that's just how my muse works. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	32. Exorcisms & Erza

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 32: Exorcisms & Erza

There had been an alarming increase in possession jobs which meant that, as the only team in Fairy Tail actually equipped to handle such matters, the Thunder Legion was kept extremely busy. Not that they complained about the extra work as it meant extra money but the only thing that they didn't like was one of the jobs was an S Class job which meant they had to go with an S Class wizard.

"But why Erza?" Bickslow whined, pouting as he looked at the Master.

"Because Gildarts is out on another job and I need Mira to work behind the counter," Makarov explained.

"Why can't we just wait until Gildarts comes back?" Evergreen asked.

"Why do you not want to work with me?" the afore-mentioned S Class wizard glared at the Thunder Legion.

"Because you'll no doubt get in our way," Freed said. "We have a system for how we deal with this and you will interfere."

"She's already promised not to do anything but watch the three of you and to interfere only if you ask," Makarov attempted to console all four wizards.

"Very well then," Freed heaved a sigh. "We will give you a chance but if you get in our way I make no guarantees for your safety."

"Understood," Erza nodded. "You won't even know that I'm there."

"I doubt that," Bickslow muttered as they turned and headed for the door.

"Doubt that," the babies said cheerfully.

* * *

One week later the doors flew open with such force that Makarov feared for the hinges. The scolding on his lips died before he could say anything when a very irate Thunder Legion, followed by a very sheepish looking Erza, stormed in. Freed lead the way with his left arm in a cast followed by Bickslow who was on crutches with his right ankle wrapped up then Evergreen who had a bandage on her forehead. Erza, however, looked the worst. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises while both of her arms were wrapped up and held protectively against her chest. She was limping and her legs were bandaged as well.

Freed led the mini procession to where Makarov was sitting and glared at the old man. "I am not working with this woman ever again," he growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm going to rip her soul out and eat it," Bickslow threatened.

"Eat it!" his babies yelped, sounding rather outraged.

"I'm going to pluck out that fake eye of hers and put it in a stew!" Evergreen snarled.

"Erza!" Makarov scolded. "I thought you weren't going to interfere."

To everyone's surprise the requip mage turned as red as her hair. "W-well you see, I-I thought that they needed my help."

"If we had needed your help we would have asked for it!" Freed shouted.

"Yeah we're not incompetent you know," Bickslow added. "I mean; we've been doing this kind of stuff ever since we joined the guild. It's not like we just started yesterday."

"Did it ever once occur to you that we might have a plan?" Evergreen glowered. "We're not Natsu and Gray you know; we actually think these things through."

Ignoring the indignant "Hey!" that came from her teammates table Erza bowed her head. "No it did not occur to me. I saw that you were in trouble and thought that my experience in battle might be of some use to you."

"Fighting a monster and performing an exorcism are two different things. You have no experience with the latter which meant that you should have stayed on the sidelines and not gotten involved," Freed was still glaring.

"Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten possessed and we wouldn't have had to fight you," Bickslow winced as he accidentally put weight on his ankle.

"Exactly. We don't have to worry about that because Freed's technically already possessed, Bickslow can't be because he's a seith mage and nobody wants to look me in the eye because I can turn them to stone before they do anything," Evergreen explained in a tone that was usually reserved for small children who didn't pay attention.

"I am truly sorry. It won't happen again," Erza promised.

"No it won't," Makarov interjected.

"I do have one question, however," Erza said quietly.

"What is it?" Freed sighed.

"Why do you hold back when you tried to take over the guild? I saw the three of you fight, you have unbelievable power so why didn't you use it?" Erza looked confused.

"Because the point wasn't to take over the guild, it was to trick Laxus into using Fairy Law so it'd cleanse his soul. It was starting to get pretty black," Bickslow answered.

"If we had really wanted to win we wouldn't have even needed to step foot in town let alone set up all those elaborate traps," Evergreen tossed her head. "Honestly, we're not that incompetent."

"Just remember that it was Bickslow who stopped you and not all three of us," Freed's smile was very unfriendly and reminiscent of a vulture.

"Bickslow took her down?" Natsu yelped but was quickly quieted down by Lucy.

"Well then," Makarov smiled jovially as he hopped down from his seat. "Erza, I trust you have no objections if I promote them?"

Startled, Erza blinked then shook her head. "Not at all, Master, I think it would be for the best."

"Very well then. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen, I hereby promote all three of you to S Class. I know it's a bit unusual doing it this way but the circumstances call for it."

"Yay!" Bickslow cheered and immediately began trying to dance, temporarily forgetting the fact that he was on crutches.

"Watch where you swing those things, you maniac!" Evergreen shouted before smacking him with her fan.

"Ow! Freed, Ever's hitting me," Bickslow whined.

"Would the two of you knock it off? We've just been promoted to S Class! We're the same rank as Laxus now, we're supposed to behave with…" Freed was cut off as Evergreen's fan hit him in the face.

"Sorry, I was aiming for Bickslow," she didn't look very repentant.

"Both of you are going down," Freed shouted as an impromptu bar brawl broke out.

"My poor guild," Makarov wailed.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	33. Guests

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 33: Guests

It was midnight when Freed was startled out of a deep sleep. He lay there for a moment, trying to figure out what had awoken him. Had it been one of his siblings crawling into bed with him? No he was still alone so that hadn't been it. His runes? That was it! Something had activated the runes he had placed around the Strauss's apartment building which meant that they were in danger. Freed leapt out of bed and ran into the living room where he grabbed his sword and began writing his teleportation runes.

It hadn't occurred to Freed that he might have wanted to grab his coat until he appeared in the yard in front of their apartment building. Thankfully, all the residents of the building were also wearing their pajamas including the tearful Strauss siblings.

"Are you all right?" Freed asked worriedly as he tried to sheath his sword then remembered that he hadn't brought his sheath.

"We're all right," Elfman sighed. "But our building isn't."

Indeed, the building was covered in flames which were now dying out thanks the valiant efforts of the firefighters who had received plenty of practice thanks to Natsu and the other Fairy Tail members.

"Where are we going to stay now?" Mira wailed as she sobbed into Lisanna's chest.

"Mira," Lisanna sighed, rubbing her older sister's back.

"Well for tonight you can stay at our place," Freed offered. "We've got plenty of room."

"Are you sure?" Lisanna asked worriedly.

"Of course, you're practically family after all," Freed smiled.

"What's with all the racket?" a sleepy-looking Evergreen greeted them in the living room as they teleported in.

"Sorry to wake you," Freed apologized. "We didn't wake Bickslow did we?"

"Thankfully no," Evergreen shuddered as she remembered the last time that had happened.

* * *

" _Laxus, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Freed said worriedly._

" _Nonsense," Laxus scoffed. "We need to get going, we've wasted enough time here as it is."_

" _I want no part in this," Ever declared, giving Laxus a wide berth as she went to join Freed._

" _Sissies," Laxus taunted then zapped Bickslow with a bolt of lightning._

 _The sleeping teenager shot up with a yell, looking around wide-eyed. His gaze fell on Laxus and a rather menacing aura appeared around his body. "What the hell was that for?" he snarled._

" _You overslept," Laxus crossed his arms and pretended that the aura surrounding his brother wasn't the least bit frightening._

 _A growl emanated from Bickslow's throat. "I was sleeping. Don't ever wake me again."_

" _Or what?"_

 _Freed facepalmed at his leader's stupidity while Ever just backed further away._

 _Bickslow didn't answer, instead he smiled and not his usual tongue-wagging grin. It was a particularly creepy smile. Suddenly a loud wailing sound could be heard and several ghosts appeared._

" _What are those?!" Laxus yelped._

" _Banshees," Bickslow smiled again. "They're your punishment for waking me up."_

 _The banshees followed the group for almost a full week. They didn't shut up for a single second, not even when they were sleeping._

 _Finally, Laxus gave in. "I'm sorry for waking you up," he apologized. "I promise I won't ever do it again."_

" _Okay," Bickslow nodded and the banshees suddenly disappeared._

* * *

"The bathroom's right in here," Ever opened the door. "I'll see if I have anything that'll fit you. If not, we'll raid Bickslow's closet."

"We'll have to raid his for Elfman anyways," Freed sighed.

"Thank you so much," Mira wiped at a few stray tears. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem," Ever smiled warmly at her. "Besides the three of you reek of smoke and we don't want anyone to think Bickslow set the kitchen on fire again."

"That was very unpleasant," Freed agreed.

"After you get through Laxus's room is right next door. You and Lisanna can sleep in there and Elfman can take the couch," Evergreen decided.

* * *

The next morning everyone was assaulted by the delicious smell of muffins. They all journeyed to the kitchen where they discovered Mira at the stove and Bickslow sitting cross-legged on the kitchen table, his babies flying around him.

"Freed, we've been invaded," Bickslow announced the second he caught sight of his brother and their other guests.

"Invaded," his babies echoed.

"We haven't been invaded," Freed sighed. "Their apartment caught on fire so I invited them to stay the night."

"Why is Elfman wearing Laxus's pajamas?" the seith mage tilted his head to the side.

"Because all you have are those old-fashioned nightdresses," Freed poured himself a cup of coffee.

"A real man wears pants to sleep in," Elfman boasted.

"So I'm not a guy?" Bickslow looked confused. "But I thought you said I was."

"It's too early in the morning for this," Evergreen groaned as she slid into a chair.

"I don't think there's ever a good time for a conversation like that," Lisanna agreed as she too sat down.

"I hope no one minds but I made muffins this morning," Mira beamed as she sat the tray next to Bickslow.

"All right," Bickslow cheered and swiftly stole one before Mira had a chance to stop him.

"Muffins," the babies said happily even though they didn't actually eat.

"Not at all," Freed assured her.

"I just wanted to do something nice to thank you for letting us stay here last night," Mira continued. "And now we have to go look for a new place and get new stuff."

"It's an excuse to go shopping," Bickslow told her.

"True," she agreed after thinking it over for a minute. "Very, very true and I do love shopping."

Elfman groaned while Lisanna giggled.

"You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like," Freed offered. "There's no need to rush into getting a new place when you can stay here for a while and get your bearings back."

"Hmm, I do the sound of that," Mira smiled. "If you're sure then we'll stay for now."

"You have to get a new couch," Elfman begged.

"Furniture shopping!" Bickslow hopped off the table, taking three more muffins with him.

"Shopping," the babies loved shopping. It was so much fun, especially when they played pranks on the other people they were bound to run into.

"Wonderful," Evergreen's smile was tight and there was a glare in her eyes that was directed at Freed.

Freed smiled weakly and drank some more of his coffee.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	34. Earthworld

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 34: Earthworld

If there was a map of the universes there would be a nameless world at the center, the origin world. On one side would be Edolas and Edolia, the universes without magic and on the other Earthland, the ones with magic. Our story takes place in Earthworld, a place very similar to Earthland. It begins not long after Laxus Dreyar was kicked out of the Fairy Tail guild.

The day started out normally enough; Natsu and Gray had gotten into a fight which sparked yet another brawl that encompassed the entire guild. Sadly, the brawl was cut short by the arrival of Team Shadowgear who burst in, wild-eyed.

"Master!" Levy screamed, terror filling her voice.

The result was instantaneous; the fighting immediately stopped as everyone turned to look at the female mage who had tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Levy, what's wrong?" Makarov asked worriedly as he hopped down from his customary seat and walked over to her.

"It's the Thunder Legion," Jet answered.

"Something horrible happened to them," Droy finished.

Makarov paled. He knew full well that the Thunder Legion wasn't very well liked by their fellow guild members but they were also the only people that his grandson truly cared about. "What's happened?"

* * *

" _Come on, Ever, hurry it up, it's almost time to meet Laxus," Bickslow whined._

" _I'm coming, I'm coming," the Fairy mage then muttered something uncomplimentary under her breath._

 _Freed eyed her warily then hastened his pace so Bickslow wouldn't start yelling at him next._

" _Hurry," the babies chimed then suddenly let out several loud shrieks._

" _We're hurrying!" Evergreen shouted._

" _Bickslow?" Freed said uncertainly. The babies didn't generally do anything strange without their master being behind it._

" _Something's wrong," the seith mage grabbed his head and let out a pained scream._

* * *

"I'd just like to say that I didn't do this," Gajeel declared as he and the other members of the guild stared at the big magnolia tree in the center of town.

"No one's blaming you," Makarov's voice sounded heavy. "But who could have done something like this?"

"I dunno but no one good," Gajeel answered.

The Thunder Legion hung limply from the tree, their severed heads hanging above their bodies. Scratched into the bark were the words; _The Three Seals of Zeref Have Been Broken._

Natsu, meanwhile, was sniffing around the base of the tree. "I'm not picking up any other scents besides ours and theirs."

"We're dealing with a professional," Gajeel sounded almost impressed. Suddenly he sniffed the air and let out a groan. "Oh no."

"What the hell happened?" Laxus stood there, his eyes blazing with fury as lightning sparked in the air around him.

"Laxus, what are you doing here?" Makarov was starting to get worried. The last time his grandson had gotten upset about something he had tried to destroy the entire town and this time there was no one to hold him back.

"We were supposed to have dinner last night but when they didn't show I got worried," Laxus explained. "I spent all night looking for them and then I followed their scent here but I didn't get here in time."

"I'm so sorry, Laxus," Makarov said sincerely.

"Yeah, man, me too," Natsu nodded, looking up from where he was squatting.

"Then why the hell are they still up there?" Laxus roared. "Get them down right now before I roast everyone alive!"

"On it!" both Natsu and Gajeel jumped to do his bidding. Normally Gajeel wouldn't take orders from anybody but he distinctly remembered the last time he had fought Laxus and, besides, the guy had a right to be in a bad mood.

* * *

" _Uh-oh," Peppe sighed._

" _Big uh-oh," Pippi agreed._

 _The five dolls were currently floating in front of the tree where the Thunder Legion's bodies were._

" _Souls!" Poppo shouted._

" _Papa's soul," Puppu sang._

" _Freed and Ever's too," Pappa sounded especially gleeful._

" _After them!" Peppe shouted and the dolls gave chase, following the three souls._

* * *

The funeral was a very solemn affair. Only a few members of the guild actually attended, mostly due to the fact that they hadn't known the Thunder Legion. Laxus was the only one who shed any tears, loud sobs mixing in with the lightning.

Once the service was over Laxus left again, this time with no intentions of returning. Makarov watched him go with a heavy heart and prayed that he would one day see his grandson again though he highly doubted it. And as he watched the lone figure travel down the road he thought, for just a second, that he saw three other figures accompanying Laxus, but when he blinked there was no one.

* * *

" _I'm so glad we found them," Pippi was delighted._

" _Me too," Poppo agreed._

 _The five dolls carefully shepherded the three souls that had belonged to their human friends to the cemetery where their bodies were buried._

" _Here's the graves," Pappa said happily._

" _Let's open 'em up," Puppu sighed._

" _Sure thing," Peppe would have saluted had he been able but, instead, he settled for shooting a beam at Bickslow's grave, opening it back up._

* * *

Laxus was never sure how long he traveled the world in a daze. Time didn't seem to move while he was out there without anyone to remind him that he had something to do. It was at least a couple of months, he did know that, since Makarov had contacted him to let him know that someone had stolen the Thunder Legion's bodies. He had been thinking about going back, to see if he could find a clue to what had happened when he ran into them.

"Peppe!" Laxus cried delightedly as he grabbed the flying totem out of the air. "I've been looking everywhere for you guys! Where the heck have you been?"

"Hey, let go of my baby!"

At the familiar sounding voice Laxus's grip relaxed and he slowly, disbelievingly turned around.

Bickslow stood there, his arms crossed and his scowl on what could be seen of his face as the remaining four dolls floated around him. Evergreen and Freed stood next to him, all three looking alive and well.

"Bickslow?" Laxus gasped. "How are you here?"

"Do we know you?" Evergreen fanned herself, looking both bored and curious at the same time.

"You do look awfully familiar," Freed admitted.

"I know you!" Bickslow cried triumphantly. "You're the guy that we keep dreaming about! I don't know your name but…" he shrugged.

"So who are you?" Evergreen snapped her fan shut.

"I'm Laxus Dreyar and the three of you were my Thunder Legion," Laxus answered.

"Thunder Legion," Freed mused. "I do like the sound of that."

As he stood there, staring at them, Laxus vowed then and there that he would do whatever was in his power to protect them from now until the end of time. He would not waste this second chance that he had been given.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	35. Shopping

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 35: Shopping

If he could have Freed would have blamed Bickslow for their current predicament but, sadly, the seith mage was only partly responsible. He had only himself to blame for the rest of it. Currently, Freed was standing in the middle of Magnolia's biggest mall with a pounding headache and the irresistible urge to skewer someone, namely himself.

"Wow," Mira gasped from beside him as she leaned over the railing to look at the floor below them. "Your brother's really good at causing chaos, isn't he?"

Freed gave her a look that could have melted steel. "So is your sister," he pointed at Lisanna who was in bird form and chasing after Bickslow who cackled like a maniac as the babies carried him.

"Oh, dear," Mira winced.

"Sadly enough they are nowhere near as bad as those two," Freed jabbed an accusing finger to the food court where a feminine voice could be heard shrieking in outrage.

"Aww, I was hoping that they'd finally started getting along since they're actually dating now," Mira pouted.

Freed just looked at her and shook his head. "Haven't you learned anything by now? Our siblings are incapable of acting like normal human beings which includes getting along and not destroying anything!"

"You make a good point," Mira admitted sadly.

Freed sighed and buried his face in his hands, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong in his life.

The day had started out well enough; after breakfast they had gotten dressed then journeyed to the mall. The trouble had actually started when they spotted the cotton candy machine.

"Cotton candy!" Bickslow yelled gleefully as he took off.

"Bickslow, behave yourself," Freed snapped as he followed his brother, albeit at a more sedate pace.

"Cotton candy?" Lisanna brightened.

"Not to you, sis," Elfman groaned.

"I like cotton candy," the youngest Strauss sibling frowned.

"Elfman," Mira gave her brother a warning look. "If she wants cotton candy then she can have it."

"Thank you," Lisanna kissed her sister on the cheek then ran after Bickslow and Freed.

"Morons, the whole lot of them," Evergreen groaned as she fanned herself.

"Like you can talk," Elfman snorted. "What's with the fan anyways? It's not hot."

"So I can do this," Evergreen whacked him on the head then stalked off.

"A real man doesn't hit people with a fan!" Elfman shouted as he went after her.

"Well the last time I checked I wasn't a man!" came Evergreen's retort as she ducked inside of a lingerie store.

And that was the quietest part of the day. After Bickslow and Lisanna had eaten a lot of cotton candy they then discovered the toy store which was Bickslow's absolute favorite store. It wasn't Lisanna's but she was happy when she found out that they had a huge selection of stuffed animals. Of course she dragged Bickslow to the music store afterwards so she could get the latest music lacrimas and he happily obliged.

Elfman and Evergreen went through the entire mall, shouting at each other at the top of their lungs along with the occasional fan smacks.

Freed and Mira located the coffee shop on the second floor and hid there, content in the knowledge that none of their siblings would go there.

Meanwhile Bickslow's babies had gotten bored and had decided to play pranks on everyone. Soon screams could be heard all over the store as the merchandise began flying around and chasing the customers around. Of course once the food started flying then things got even more interesting.

Lisanna, however, was a bit miffed when her stuffed animals that she had bought got covered in hot sauce so she started chasing Bickslow around the mall.

Elfman made the tragic mistake of trying to defend Evergreen's honor when some random guy tried to hit on her and was immediately subjected to a verbal and physical attack by the woman in question.

"Freed, there's some guy coming towards us," Mira said as she took another sip of her coffee.

"No doubt it's the manager," Freed sighed, putting down his cup.

It was indeed the manager who was beyond irate as he impolitely asked them to leave and never return. Freed didn't feel too bad when Bickslow stole some more cotton candy on their way out the door.

Despite getting kicked out of the mall and later the furniture store (people really needed to learn to appreciate flying furniture more) they did actually manage to buy a few things. The Strauss's had gotten some more clothes and a comfortable futon for poor Elfman to sleep on.

"I'm never going anywhere with you lot again," Freed declared as they walked back inside the house.

"It wasn't that bad," Mira said weakly.

"You obviously weren't on the same shopping trip as the rest of us," Evergreen said airily as she gracefully sat down on the couch.

"Like you can talk," Elfman snorted.

"At least she wasn't screaming about being manly every five seconds," Bickslow grumbled.

"Or making clothes chase the customers," Lisanna giggled.

"Or turning into a bird and trying to kill someone," Freed glowered.

"Hey you're the one who pulled a sword on the guy at the furniture store," Bickslow protested.

"He deserved it," Freed protested.

"He does have a point though, Freed," Mira pointed out. "You can't really yell at them for doing the exact same things that you did."

"Says the one person who didn't cause any trouble," Elfman crossed his arms.

"Well," Mira hesitated. "There was this one pair of shoes that I may have started a tug of war over," she smiled sheepishly.

"You're the one who started the riot in the shoe store? I thought that was Bickslow," Freed frowned.

"I did help a little," Bickslow admitted.

"So in other words every single one of us is responsible for causing mayhem and destruction," Freed sighed. "Wonderful. I'm going to go lie down now and see if I can get rid of this headache."

"I'll get the paper," Bickslow said cheerfully.

"Paper?" Mira questioned.

"Freed loves origami," Evergreen explained.

"The Thunder Legion and the Strauss's destroyed what?!" Makarov's yell could be heard throughout the guild hall.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry that it's not better. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	36. White Day

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 36: White Day

On Valentine's Day Mira had decorated the guild in pink, red, and purple decorations complete with balloons and streamers. On White Day she did the same thing but now all the decorations were white (although some had stains due to the rowdiness of the members) and all of the women were eagerly sitting at the bar, excitedly whispering amongst themselves as the men cautiously approached bearing their gifts. Since all of the girls were beauties they all received very expensive presents even from the people they hadn't given gifts to at Valentine's. Even Natsu had had the foresight to give Lucy a nice present (mostly due to Erza's threat on his life if he didn't).

No one was at all surprised when Loke appeared, also bearing gifts. "Hello, my beloved Lucy. You are looking quite lovely today."

"Hi, Loke," Lucy waved. "Please tell me not all of that's for me," she indicated the gigantic pile of chocolates and flowers and jewelry boxes that towered over her spirit's head.

"Oh, no. Since I've been gone for so long I decided to bring presents for everyone," Loke explained.

"Phew," Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. While she dearly loved all of her spirits there were times when Loke could be a bit too much.

"Evergreen!" Loke brightened as he began passing out his gifts.

"Oh, no," the woman in question groaned as she caught sight of him. "What do you want now?"

"You two know each other?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Loke used to hit on her all the time," Mira explained. "But every time he tried Bickslow would attack him and they'd fight and Loke would lose."

"That makes sense," Lucy sighed. It certainly explained the comment that Bickslow had made while fighting them.

"My darling Evergreen," Loke smiled as he approached her.

"Hey!" Elfman started to protest but quickly shut up when Evergreen glared at him.

"I'm not your darling, Loke," she began fanning herself.

"But you could be," he countered, offering her a single rose.

"On one condition," Evergreen smiled.

"What's that?" Loke ignored Elfman's cries of "what?!"

"You have to get past Bickslow first."

Loke perked up. "Piece of cake."

"But why do I have to fight 'im?" Bickslow complained as he stood up from his seat and walked over to Loke.

"Because I said so," Evergreen pointed her fan at him.

The seith mage grumbled under his breath but nodded. "Fine let's get this over with."

"This will be easy," Loke smirked as his fist began to glow.

"Before we start fighting I was wondering if we could just talk first," Bickslow sounded hesiant.

"Talk?" Loke blinked and lowered his fist. "Sure I guess."

Freed and Evergreen both snickered and the rune mage pulled out a recording lacrima. "For learning purposes," he grinned.

Loke eyed them warily then turned his attention back to Bickslow who had taken off his visor and was staring at him with wide eyes. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Bickslow's bashful smile did nothing to calm Loke's nerves. "Well first off, we kind of got off on the wrong foot what with you hitting on my sister and all so I just wanted to apologize for some of the things that I called you. I didn't mean it when I said that you were a brainless pretty boy."

"You're forgiven?" Loke said weakly. His internal alarm was going crazy and he had to fight the instinct to return to the Spirit World. He was not a coward!

"Thank you," Bickslow beamed and batted his eyelashes causing Mira and Lisanna to start giggling. "In that case I hope we can be friends."

"S-sure," Loke stammered as Bickslow came closer, still batting his eyelashes.

"Can we be more than just friends?" Bickslow pouted, running his hand over Loke's arm.

Loke could only stare at Bickslow in horror for several seconds, vaguely registering the sound of laughter in the background. Eventually he regained control of his senses and said, "I just remembered I'm late for the White Day party in the Spirit World. Gotta go!" and vanished.

Bickslow pouted. "He didn't have to run away."

"Yes he did," Freed came to stand beside his brother. "No offense but you used one of Laxus's seduction techniques on me I would have run away as well."

"True," Bickslow admitted. "Besides he's your type; not mine."

Freed sighed. "He most certainly is."

"He's talking about Loke, Freed," Evergreen called from her seat.

"Oh yes I knew that," Freed turned red.

"Is this why you guys carry a recording lacrima everywhere?" Lucy asked. "To record Bickslow's antics."

"That's one reason," Evergreen admitted. "Not to mention we get plenty of blackmail material. I'll make sure you get a copy of this one."

"Thanks," Lucy grinned. "It was rather funny to see Loke's own techniques turned against him."

"Definitely," Ever laughed.

"Evergreen," Elfman whined as he approached her. "Why didn't you let me take on Loke? I'm man enough."

"Because I didn't really want to see a macho fight," she tossed her head. "Besides why would you fight him? It's not like you're my boyfriend."

"But we're dating!" Elfman yelped.

"One date does not constitute a relationship," Ever said haughtily.

"Lucky for us," Bickslow remarked.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Elfman and Evergreen demanded at the same time.

"Uh," Bickslow suddenly realized that he had been heard. "Nothing," he laughed weakly.

"Nothing," his babies flew over from where they had been sitting with Lisanna. "Nothing at all."

"I think it was something," Evergreen growled as she marched over to him, Elfman right behind her.

"Oh dear," Mira blinked. "This could get ugly."

"Now, Ever, he really didn't mean anything by it," Freed tried to placate his angry sister.

"Do you really want to get involved in this?" Ever asked.

Freed considered his options for a moment then bowed his head and made a hasty, albeit graceful, escape to the bar.

"How cruel to abandon your brother," Lisanna smirked.

"Self-preservation," Freed said calmly.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! I was originally going to do a Valentine's Day one but then I remembered the White Day episode of Fruits Basket and decided to do that instead. I was going to post it yesterday but life intervened and in a desperate attempt to keep from becoming homicidal I decided to watch TV instead. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	37. Possession 2: The Return

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 37: Possession 2: The Return

"Let me get this straight," Bickslow pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "After the two of you left here to go find your missing leader you did manage to find him."

"Uh-huh," Ginta nodded.

"With the help of Levy, Jet and Droy you found him in a cave where he was near death."

"Uh-huh," Hakkaku nodded.

"Less than a minute after that he died and possessed Jet and now they're both gone. Did I miss anything?" Bickslow clarified.

"Nope it happened just like that," Ginta said.

"Then do me a favor and explain it to me one more time," Bickslow growled.

"One more time, one more time," the babies chanted.

Hakkaku eyed them warily then began talking. "Well it started a couple of days ago. We had heard a rumor that a ferocious demon lived in the caves."

" _Are we sure that it's Koga? I mean, he's not the only ferocious demon we've met. For all we know it could be that dog demon that we tried to fend off that one time," Ginta shuddered at the memory._

" _We're dead, what could he do to us?" Hakkaku countered._

" _I don't know and I don't want to find out."_

 _The two demons fell into a comfortable silence as they ran, skidding to a stop when a familiar scent hit their noses._

" _I know that smell," Hakkaku frowned as he sniffed the air some more._

" _It's those mages we possessed," Ginta informed him. "Maybe if we apologize they'll be willing to help us."_

" _Sounds good to me," Hakkaku shrugged and they changed direction._

" _Hi!" Ginta waved once they reached the campsite._

" _Who are you?" Droy yelped as he and Jet leapt up._

" _I'm Ginta, I have dimples."_

" _And I'm Hakkaku."_

" _We're the right and left hands of Koga, the young leader of the wolf demon tribe."_

" _But we still haven't been able to find him," Hakkaku sighed morosely._

" _We're really sorry for possessing you and we were wondering if you'd be willing to help us find him," Ginta said hastily._

" _Of course we would," Levy smiled warmly, ignoring the protests from her entourage. "I mean, Bickslow says you guys are all right so why shouldn't we trust you?"_

" _Because Bickslow is crazy," Jet snapped._

" _No offense but from what we've heard your entire guild is nuts," Hakkaku pointed out._

" _You've certainly got that right," Levy giggled._

 _The next day the five of them set out for the caves at the top of the mountain. It was a little difficult making the climb but the two wolf demons were used to making such a journey and the others had, sadly, received plenty of experience during their time with the guild. So, all in all, they made relatively good time and soon stood at the top._

" _Koga!" Ginta shouted as he charged into the dark cave, Hakkaku right behind him._

" _Wait!" Levy shouted as she followed them. "We don't even know what's in there."_

 _But it was too late, they had already gone inside. Cautiously, Levy followed them, slightly apprehensive of what they would find inside. Ginta and Hakkaku were kneeling in the floor, next to an older wolf demon._

" _Koga!" they both sobbed happily._

 _The old demon looked at them, happiness crossing his face then he took a shuddering breath and lay still. Suddenly Jet jerked then took off running at high speed._

" _Koga, wait for us!" the two wolf demons scrambled to their feet and immediately gave chase._

" _Jet, get back here!" Levy shouted as she and Droy joined in._

"And once we realized that we weren't going to be able to catch him we decided to come back and get you," Ginta finished.

Bickslow let out a loud groan. "Why would he possess Jet? Can you tell me that?"

"Well Koga's always been a fast runner," Hakkaku replied. "We used to spend all our time running through the mountains together."

"But why hasn't he come back for us?" Ginta sniffed.

Bickslow let out a heavy sigh and decided that this job just didn't pay enough. "A lot of times when someone dies, especially demons like yourselves, if there's someone nearby with the same powers they'll possess them by accident. You said he was a runner?" after seeing their confirming nods he continued. "He's a purposeless ghost so all he wants to do is run and run and run until he can't run anymore and even then he'll just keep running until he either moves on or is exorcised."

"Isn't there anything that you can do for him?" Ginta whimpered.

Bickslow looked at the two ghosts and felt sorry for them. After seeing his future self, he had realized just how much he depended on his family and so he could understand Ginta and Hakkaku a little too well. "There is a ceremony that we can perform that will bring him here. After that it's up to you."

"Thank you!" they cried and tackled him in a hug.

"Just get off of me," he growled through gritted teeth.

* * *

The next day Hakkaku, Ginta, Levy and Droy gathered in front of the guild hall as they watched the Thunder Legion prepare the ceremony. Well, Bickslow was doing most of the work but Freed and Evergreen helped too, mostly in drawing the magic circle and enchanting it while Bickslow muttered spells under his breath.

"Your teammate is very skilled," Ginta said, his eyes wide and his tone respectful.

"In our time he would have been considered a most powerful priest or monk. Possibly a dark witch but still powerful," Hakkaku agreed.

"Maybe a demon slayer?" Ginta suggested.

"Quiet from the peanut gallery!" Bickslow barked.

"Quiet!" the babies repeated, sounding annoyed.

"We're almost through," Freed assured them.

"Done," Evergreen rose to her feet.

Bickslow stayed where he was a second longer then joined his siblings a few feet away from the magic circle. "Activate!" he shouted.

Immediately the circle began to glow and soon a familiar dust cloud appeared on the horizon then it stopped, revealing itself to be Jet, his eyes glowing. "Who dared to call me here?!"

"That's my cue," Bickslow pulled off his visor, his eyes glowing. "Come out, demon, now!"

Jet's body jerked as a blood curdling scream came from his mouth. He convulsed for several more seconds then fell to the ground limp as the demon's spirit exited his body.

"What the hell?!" Koga sounded confused and irritated.

"He's all yours," Bickslow said.

"Koga!"

The wolf demon barely had time to look up before he was tackled to the ground. "Where have you morons been?" he demanded. "I've been looking all over for you."

"We've been looking for you to," Ginta countered.

"For the past two hundred years," Hakkaku added.

"Look the important part is that we found each other so can you please get off of me?" Koga yelled.

"Sorry," the two hastily stood up as did Koga a second later.

"Later," Koga took off like a rocket.

"Wait for us!" the other wolf demons took off as well, although Ginta did stop to wave before they disappeared.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked. Sorry it was so late but life and my tablet not working intervened. By the way everyone guessed correctly the first time they showed up; Koga, Hakkaku and Ginta are from Inuyasha, the first anime I ever saw. My best friend asked for this chapter so I wrote it for her. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	38. The Blood of Zeref

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 38: The Blood of Zeref

Over four hundred years ago there lived a most evil wizard who went by the name of Zeref. He traveled through the land, killing whomever stood in his way. He was feared by everyone and loved by no one. One day while he was traveling he happened to spot a small town by the name of Magnolia and decided that he would pay it a visit.

"Bickslow, what are you doing?" Freed groaned.

"Stopping and smelling the roses," came the reply.

"Must you do that in public?" Evergreen waved an eyebrow as she fanned herself.

"Yes I must," Bickslow countered as he finally stood up. A former circus acrobat he retained his love for peculiar outfits that most certainly didn't match and was one of the most agile people Freed had ever met.

"I told you we should have left him at home," Evergreen sniffed as she kept walking, graceful as always. The daughter of a wealthy businessman she had run away when he tried to force her into an arranged marriage. Ironically enough she had actually ran into the person she was supposed to marry who had also run away. She and Freed were now good friends but she would never marry him.

"I know, I know," Freed groaned as he adjusted his red coat. As the only son of a rich man he had grown up never wanting for anything except friends. Thankfully, he had found two after running away.

"I'm right here, you know," Bickslow complained as he easily caught up to him.

Freed opened his mouth to say something when the sound of screaming began to fill the air.

"What's going on?" Evergreen demanded as she took a step back.

"Z-Zeref," Bickslow stammered, pointing.

Freed looked and immediately wished he hadn't. There, heading straight towards them, was Zeref, the black wizard. Everyone knew what he looked like, there were posters with his face all over the city. "This is bad," he whispered.

"You think?" Evergreen hissed in his ear. "We need to get out of here right now."

"I don't think we can," Bickslow was looking behind them. "I'm pretty sure that's one of his monsters behind us."

Sure enough, one of Zeref's demons was blocking their way out as it ate some of the townspeople.

"So what do we do?" Freed asked, more than willing to admit that this was out of his realm of expertise.

"Freed, look out!" Bickslow shouted and tackled him.

Startled, Freed fell with Bickslow right on top of him. Screams poured in from all sides and he could the sound of bodies falling to the ground. He glanced to the side and screamed himself when he saw Evergreen lying there, her eyes open and unseeing. Once the screaming stopped Freed pushed Bickslow's body off of him and stood up.

All around him were the dead bodies of the villagers as they lay where they had fallen. He could see women, men and children all dead. And he could see Bickslow and Evergreen as well, they weren't breathing anymore and in the midst of it all stood Zeref alive and well, laughing as he took in the destruction.

Freed drew his sword as tears ran down his face. He knew that the chances of him actually killing Zeref were nonexistent but, at the very least, perhaps he could either cause the man a little pain or have his own erased. He took a deep breath then charged.

* * *

Zeref had been so caught up in watching the fruits of his labors that he was genuinely startled when the sword pierced his stomach. He glowered as he turned to see who had dared harm him and was a bit surprised. The man holding the sword didn't look like type of person who usually used one so it was a bit disconcerting. "What do you think that you're doing?"

"You killed my family," the man told him.

"You survived, you should have been happy with that," Zeref could feel his black magic building up, just begging for a release.

"What's the point of living if there's no one to live for?"

Zeref looked at him then nodded. "Very well," and threw a sphere of dark energy at him.

The man fell to the ground and lay there.

Zeref felt a bit of compassion and dragged the body back to the other corpses. He vaguely remembered seeing the three of them together earlier so he would be kind and let them rot together. He pulled the sword out of his stomach and looked at it angrily. He cut his throat and watched dispassionately as the blood sprayed everywhere even as his wounds healed. "There is no release for me and for my pain," he whispered as he threw the sword down and left. He didn't see his blood soaking the three bodies and he certainly didn't see as it ran into their mouths and down their throats.

* * *

Freed's first thought was that this was impossible. Zeref had killed him, hadn't he? And yet, here he was, alive and well as he slowly sat up. Bickslow and Evergreen were sitting up as well, groaning as they did so.

"My head is killing me," Bickslow groaned.

"So's mine," Evergreen winced. "What happened? I thought we were dead."

"Me too," Freed confessed.

"Oh well," Bickslow shrugged. "We're not dead, that's all that matters."

"I agree," Freed smiled as he reached up to rub his eyes, they were starting to burn.

"My eyes!" Bickslow suddenly screamed and covered his eyes, a green glow shining through his fingers.

Evergreen screamed as well and followed suit.

"Oh dear," Freed sighed as he desperately tried to cover his eye.

* * *

400 Years Later

"I can honestly say, that in four hundred years, this is one of the rowdiest places I have ever been," Evergreen fanned herself.

"Agreed," Freed sighed as he watched Bickslow do a cartwheel on a nearby table.

It had taken them some time to figure what had happened to them and how to get used to it but, somehow, they had managed. The three of them were happy now, happier than they had ever been in their lives and it was all due to Fairy Tail.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	39. Flying Blocks Of Wood

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 39: Flying Blocks of Wood

Their first memories were nothing more than vague remembrances of a cold, dark place. It was lonely there so they huddled together for comfort, wishing that someone would come and take them away from that awful place. Then, one day, their wish was granted when a boy came. At first he ignored them but, eventually, he began to talk to them. He asked what their names were and they were forced to tell him that they couldn't remember. He didn't laugh or make fun of them, instead he said that since he was the only one who had a name (even if Bickslow was a bit strange) that meant that it was his job to name them and so he did.

The newly christened Pappa, Peppe, Pippi, Poppo and Puppu were delighted with this boy. He was completely wonderful but he was very lonely and often cried himself to sleep at night. The lost souls were helpless; they had no idea what they were supposed to do. After conferring amongst themselves for a time it was decided that he needed some human companionship but, once again, they had no way of going about getting him some.

They were understandably relieved when Freed and Evergreen arrived. Yes, they were sorry that the children had to be put through such a horrible ordeal but their presence helped Bickslow immensely so they decided that it was worth it. Of course escaping was totally awesome, even if they had accidentally linked their souls to Bickslow's.

They loved Laxus and they liked Fairy Tail, they just didn't like Natsu. He was very mean to them the first time that they met and he made Bickslow cry! Unforgivable!

It didn't take long for them to discover that there had been some side effects to linking their souls together. Namely the fact that they could no longer distinguish between their thoughts. Six minds, six voices all talking at once, converged in their heads, many times leaving Bickslow screaming in agony because his head hurt. It took time but, eventually, they were finally able to distinguish between the voices and they were able to quiet down.

But still, it was difficult to distinguish between them at times and they couldn't tell if Bickslow wanted to play hide and seek or if they were the ones that wanted to play. But, they decided, it didn't really matter. Either way they all wanted to play so everything was good.

The years passed and even though Bickslow started to grow up they didn't. Their minds remained childlike as did their antics and so Bickslow continued to act the same as they did. They had a lot of fun together, playing games and pulling pranks on everyone.

Of course they loved the others to, how couldn't they? Bickslow loved them dearly and so did they. Freed was always nice to them and even Evergreen addressed them by name once or twice. Laxus was a lot nicer when he was younger but after Lisanna died he became downright mean, always threatening to zap them with his lightning.

Thankfully Bickslow knew why and the others gladly helped him come up with a solution.

The babies (as Bickslow called them) were a bit confused though as to why they hadn't been kicked out of the guild along with Laxus. For some strange reason both Master Makarov and Laxus thought that they needed to stay in the guild. Freed had taken the initiative and decided that that meant they needed to make friends with some of the other members.

Evergreen took the first step when she and Elfman started "not dating". This meant that they had to start hanging out with the Strauss' more often. Lisanna was very nice and didn't seem to mind playing with them and Bickslow while Mira acted the way that a mother was supposed to act.

Of course there were others that they hung out with as well. Ever seemed to like that Lucy girl who was always with Natsu (an automatic point against her) even though she seemed way too perky for Ever's tastes. Although they did enjoy the prank that the two girls helped pull on Natsu and Gray; that had been hilarious!

The next time that Laxus came to visit the babies were thrilled that he seemed to be back to his old, nicer self. Nobody, not even Freed, had liked the mean, scary version that they had lived with for two years. He was even nice enough to join them and Bickslow in a round of hide and seek! This new Laxus was totally awesome!

Wendy came over to play one day and the babies quickly decided that she was one of their favorite people. Mostly because she didn't make fun of Bickslow's dress and she was still young enough that having a tea party sounded like fun. That had been a really good day.

Then Evergreen and Elfman actually started dating, for real. Everyone was thrilled as it meant more ammunition for teasing although Mira had looked slightly disapproving when Bickslow mentioned it.

Of course nothing could have prepared them for waking up one morning and discovering that the Strauss siblings had moved in during the night. That was a bit much if they were being honest although the addition of possible playmates made them overcome their initial reservations very quickly. Besides, Freed knew what he was doing, he was the smart one after all (no offense to Evergreen).

Having their souls connected to Bickslow's also meant that they were tied to the mortal plane, they couldn't move on to the afterlife. Bickslow had offered many times to help them move on but that would mean that his soul would have to move on as well and they just couldn't accept that. Bickslow still had some living to do so they didn't mind staying until then. Besides, life with the Thunder Legion was way too fun to ever give up.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry it was so late but my cat walked over my keyboard and killed it so I had to wait for it to fix itself. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	40. Laxus's Return

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 40: Laxus's Return

Makarov sat in his usual seat and looked around the room, feeling a bit anxious, his eyes lingering the longest on the Thunder Legion. He had thought long and hard about his decision and still wasn't a hundred percent convinced that he had made the right choice. There was no turning back now, though. He had already made the call, now all he could do was wait and see how it played out.

Meanwhile, in the corner at their usual table, the Thunder Legion went through their day, blissfully unaware that their lives were about to change. Freed was reading a book as usual, studiously ignoring Bickslow who was making faces at him from across the table. Evergreen was pretending to read but, in actuality, she was staring at Elfman who had taken off his shirt again and was yelling at Gray for taking off his pants.

The door to the guild opened and they probably wouldn't have paid it any attention were it not for the gasping and the sound of mugs being dropped. Curious, they all looked and their mouths fell open when they spotted Laxus standing in the doorway.

"Welcome back," Makarov waved jovially as he began walking towards his grandson.

"Thanks, it's good to be back," Laxus grinned.

The mere sound of his voice propelled them into action; before Laxus knew what had happened he had been tackled by all three members of the Thunder Legion and was knocked to the floor.

"Laxus, you're back!" the three of them shouted as they hugged him.

"It's good to see you too," Laxus patted Freed on the back as best he could, considering that most of him was trapped. "Now will you idiots get off of me?!"

"Sure thing," Freed said as he climbed to his feet, then helped Laxus up once Ever and Bickslow had gotten up as well.

"Are you back for good this time?" Bickslow asked eagerly as he clung to Laxus's left arm.

"Back for good?" the babies sounded hopeful.

"Yep," Laxus confirmed with a nod. "The old man said I come back and rejoin the guild."

"Thank you so much," Evergreen hugged Makarov tightly then returned to Laxus's side.

"We do appreciate it," Freed bowed, not once letting go of Laxus's right arm.

"You're most welcome," Makarov smiled.

"All right," Natsu cheered as he came over to them. "Now we can have that rematch," he grinned, his fists already lighting up.

Laxus sighed and was about to zap the little punk when Freed spoke.

"How dare you challenge Laxus like that?"

"Yeah," Bickslow agreed. "You're not worthy to even look at him."

"Do yourself a favor and run on back to Lucy," Evergreen began fanning herself.

"Or what?" Natsu challenged.

"He asked for it," Bickslow pointed out.

"Very well then," Freed nodded. "Thunder Legion, attack!"

Natsu didn't even have time to blink before the three of them were upon him.

"Just like old times," Laxus laughed before he too joined the battle.

"My guild!" Makarov wailed as more and more people began to fight.

* * *

"It's good to have you back, Laxus," Mira smiled warmly as she put some more food on the table.

"Thank you," Laxus eagerly helped himself to the dish. "So you guys are staying here now?"

"Yep," Lisanna didn't even look away from the battle she and Bickslow were having over a roll. "Freed invited us."

"Oh did he now?" Laxus raised an eyebrow as the rune mage flushed.

"Well they didn't have anywhere else to go and it seemed rather rude to make them stay in a hotel when we had plenty of room," Freed explained.

"I don't think Laxus really cares," Ever tossed her hair then smacked Elfman's hand when he tried to take some food from the serving tray. "Ladies first."

Elfman glowered at her and muttered something under his breath that might have been uncomplimentary to all members of the female species.

"What was that?" Evergreen glared at him.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"That's what I thought," she smiled triumphantly and turned back to her plate.

"I won!" Bickslow proudly held up what was left of the roll.

"Congratulations," Mira smiled as her younger sister pouted. "But there's not much left of it now."

"I still won," he protested.

"Of course you did," Mira handed both him and Lisanna new rolls.

"They're still going to find something else to fight over," Freed pointed out.

"So?" Mira shrugged as she sat down.

"I'll admit, I wasn't sure that the three of you would get along with them but you fit in great," Laxus laughed.

"I feel like I've been insulted," Elfman sighed.

"Hey!" Evergreen snapped. "A real man doesn't insult his hosts."

"And a real man doesn't point out when another man does something unmanly," he countered.

"Do I look like a man to you?"

"You'd think he'd know better by now," Freed sighed as the fight began.

"You'd think," Bickslow agreed.

Laxus just laughed, content to be back with his family where he belonged. "So where am I going to sleep tonight?"

"Uh-oh," Freed winced.

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter is shorter than normal and I promised I'd never let them get this short but my muse died and nothing else would come out. The next one will be a bit longer, I promise. Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	41. Picnics & Cemeteries

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 41: Picnics & Cemeteries

"So why exactly are we doing this again?" Elfman grunted as he trudged up the hill, carrying a picnic basket.

"It was either this or go on an Easter egg hunt," Freed sighed.

"That sounds like fun," Lisanna brightened.

"Not after that debacle last year," Evergreen moaned.

"I said I was sorry for zapping you," Laxus sulked.

"Her? What about me? I got shocked for a week after that anytime I touched something," Freed glowered.

"Hurry it up, you guys," Bickslow whined from his position atop the hill. "I'm starving."

"We're coming," Mira called out cheerfully.

"Easy for you to say; you're not carrying a basket," Elfman grumbled.

"Picnics are fun," Lisanna attempted to cheer up her big brother.

"Not when they're in a cemetery!"

The hill that they were currently climbing did indeed lead to one of Magnolia's older cemeteries that had long been abandoned in favor of one of the newer, more upscale cemeteries across town.

"Do you have any idea how many souls there are here?" Bickslow sounded excited as he crouched on the back of a tombstone.

"He likes to hang out with them," Freed sighed as they reached the top of the hill.

"Seriously?" Elfman groaned as he sat down the picnic basket.

"It's his magic, he can't help it," Mira defended as she spread out the blanket.

Immediately, Laxus stretched out on the blanket. "I think I'm going to catch a few zzz's."

"A real man doesn't fall asleep when there are women around that need help!" Elfman shouted.

"Excuse me?" Evergreen began fanning herself.

"Good thing for me then that I don't really care," Laxus smirked as he turned up his music.

Mira growled and, with an amazing show of strength, pulled the blanket out from underneath Laxus. "If you want to sleep then you can do it on the ground," she sniffed and spread the blanket out in a different spot.

"She got you good, boss," Bickslow cackled then leapt back just in time as the tombstone he had been sitting on crumbled as it was struck by lightning. "Hey!"

"Looks like he got you," Lisanna giggled then yelped and began running as Bickslow started chasing her.

"Children, would you please behave yourselves long enough to help us finish setting up?" Freed called in an exasperated tone.

"Nope," the babies giggled as they shot their beams at a nearby mud puddle, causing the mud to splash on his coat.

"That's it; you're all going down!" and with that Freed joined in the chase.

"Idiots," Evergreen sniffed as she daintily sat on a dry spot of grass.

Elfman just stood there for several minutes, his mouth wide open before he finally managed to speak again. "Have you people no respect for the dead? You can't honestly tell me that you've forgotten that we're in a cemetery! A real man…"

He was cut off by Lisanna who slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

"Sorry, big brother Elf," she called as she continued running.

"My sandwiches!" Mira wailed. "Get back here, Freed!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Mira, but I value my life too much," the rune mage called over his shoulder.

"You got mud all over my new dress! Fairy dust!"

Elfman heard the sounds of magic being used, considered his options and decided that it wouldn't be considered unmanly if he didn't participate in this particular brawl. Instead, he carefully stood up and went to go sit by Laxus, the one safe spot in the entire cemetery.

"What? You're not going to go fight?" Laxus snorted.

"Not this time," Elfman paled as Mira transformed into her demon form.

"Can't say I blame you," Laxus winced.

Sometime later, after the fighting had stopped, they had all sat down and were now enjoying what was left of their lunch. Well, almost everyone was sitting. Bickslow and his babies had apparently discovered a couple of lost souls in the cemetery and were now engaged in a game of tag.

"He's awfully rambunctious isn't he?" Mira giggled as she watched the seith mage literally leap over a tombstone.

"He wasn't this hyper when he was younger," Freed sighed. "At least I don't think he was," he frowned.

"He certainly wasn't this odd," Evergreen winced.

"We got anymore sandwiches?" Laxus cut in.

"I'm sorry," Mira apologized, shaking her head. "Elfman ate the last of them."

"What?" Elfman protested as Laxus turned to glare at him. "A real man has a big appetite."

"It's bad enough you people took over my room, did you have to eat all the sandwiches too?" Laxus complained.

"We said that we were sorry," Lisanna glowered. "Besides, you found somewhere to sleep."

"If by 'somewhere' you mean he commandeered my room then yes he did," Freed grumbled.

"You didn't honestly think I was going to sleep in Bickslow's did you?"

"You don't still think it's haunted do you?" Ever groaned.

"Haunted?" the Strauss siblings said as one.

"It's just the result of an overactive imagination," Freed rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" Laxus defended himself. "You didn't see that creature."

"It was probably just Bickslow playing a prank on you; you know how much he loves doing that," Ever sighed as she pulled out her fan.

"It was not a prank," the Dragon Slayer growled.

"So what exactly happened?" Mira asked cautiously.

"It was about ten years ago," Freed surrendered to the inevitable. "Laxus had spent the weekend at his dad's and had just come back."

" _I'm home," Laxus called as he entered the house. "Hello? Anybody here?"_

 _When there was no reply Laxus raised an eyebrow then shrugged. Assuming that they had probably gone out (Freed had mentioned grocery shopping before Laxus left) he continued to his room. As he passed Bickslow's room he stopped and frowned. Thinking that he had heard something Laxus entered the room._

" _Bickslow? You in here?"_

 _There was no response and Laxus stepped further inside. His gaze swept over the rows of stuffed animals and the two shelves devoted to Laxus figurines then he turned to look at the giant stuffed unicorn that his brother had won at the fair. Were its eyes really glowing? He took another step forward and the toy suddenly opened its mouth, revealing fangs._

 _Laxus let out a loud scream and ran out of the room as fast as he could. He never even noticed Bickslow emerging from the shadows, giggling before removing the soul from the toy._

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! I will post two chapters every week but I'm not sure which days they will be. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	42. Atlantia

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 42: Atlantia

Deep beneath the blue sea, beyond the trenches that offered temporary resting places to boats that had sunk there was a beautiful city. But this city was not like those above land; oh no. Atlantia was a grand city, one that covered over half of the ocean floor. The people of this city were not the same as you or I. true, they loved and they laughed and they, very occasionally, died but other than that there were no similarities. For you see, these people were actually called mermaids and mermen. They had long flowing hair (some of them) and their bodies were covered in scales and they had strong tails, perfect for navigating the currents. Ruling over them was a kind, old merman named Makarov. He had been their ruler for many centuries and had always protected his people to the best of his abilities as he loved them very much.

In an effort to protect his citizens even more Makarov had created Fairy Tail, Atlantia's police/military force. One of Fairy Tail's top members was Laxus, Makarov's grandson. Directly underneath him were his three closest friends; Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen. The four of them had been inseparable since they were children.

It was another normal day in Atlantia; the mer people went about their business, most of them completely unaware that they were being followed. Most that is; there were a few who were aware of their stalker.

"Bickslow, get out here," Laxus crossed his arms and waited impatiently.

"How'd you know I was here?" Bickslow pouted as he swam into view, five jellyfish following him as usual.

"Because you always follow us," Freed sighed, shaking his head ruefully.

"It's creepy and a sign of a deeper mental problem," Evergreen remarked.

"But it's fun," Bickslow did a flip, the light glinting off his blue and purple scales.

"You're supposed to be an elite member of the Thunder Legion," Freed protested as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His scales were a mixture of red and green and he had long green hair.

"The only thing elite about him is his acrobatics," Evergreen's hair was surprisingly boring as it was brown and her scales were green and purple.

"Thank you," Bickslow darted forward in an attempt to hug her.

Laxus grabbed Bickslow's blue and black hair, forcing the other merman to yelp. "It's not a good idea to hug her, you know that."

"But I want to," Bickslow whined.

"No," Laxus repeated firmly. Despite the fact that he had blond hair and scales he was considered one of the most handsome mermen in the kingdom. "The last time you did that you couldn't swim properly for a week."

"I didn't throw him that hard," Evergreen smirked.

"Yes you did," Freed countered.

"Guess what I saw?" Bickslow was practically dancing despite the fact that Laxus was still holding his hair.

"What is it this time?" Laxus sighed as he let go of the other merman's hair.

"Aquarius is headed towards the surface again," Bickslow said after swimming to a safe distance away.

The other three let out a collective groan. "Not again," Freed looked annoyed at the mere thought of having to deal with the mermaid again.

Aquarius was one of the many mer that served Lucy Heartfilia, one of the richest mermaids in the sea. While she was a sweet and beautiful mermaid she had developed the rather unfortunate idea that she had met and fallen in love with a land dweller. Ever since then she tried constantly to sneak back up to the surface, forcing Laxus and the others to intervene as it was forbidden to go to the surface.

"Let's go," Laxus sighed and surrendered to the inevitable.

The four of them took off swimming as fast as they could even as Laxus tried to shake off the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

"Any sign of her?" Freed called.

"Not so far," Evergreen replied.

"Me and the babies haven't seen her either," Bickslow sounded rather put out. "I really did see her though, I promise!"

"No one's calling you a liar, Bickslow," Freed attempted to placate his friend.

"Something feels weird about these waves," Laxus frowned. "How far have we gone?"

"I'm not sure," Evergreen admitted. "Nothing around here looks familiar and it's awfully bright. I want to go home now."

"The babies don't like it either," Bickslow patted the jellyfish who were practically glued to his side.

"I think that current we ran into earlier dropped us off somewhere else," Freed also looked uneasy. "And what's up with these waves? I've never seen anything like it before."

Bickslow opened his mouth to say something but before he could a massive wave crashed into him and Evergreen, causing the two of them too go flying.

"Bickslow, Evergreen!" Laxus shouted in horror. Immediately he began swimming as fast as he could, Freed on his tail. Seconds later his head broke through the waves and he realized, with no small amount of shock and horror, that they were on the surface. Up ahead he could see two bodies lying on the sand and he began swimming towards them.

"Laxus, wait!" Freed shouted as he too surfaced.

"I gotta help them!" Laxus had heard too many horror stories about the surface world to ever leave his friends there.

"How can you fix that?" Freed pointed and Laxus's jaw dropped.

Bickslow and Evergreen were now writhing in agony as their tails began splitting and their scales disappeared.

"What the hell?" Laxus could only stare.

"I don't know but I think we need to talk to your grandfather before we do anything else," Freed said seriously.

Laxus hesitated then nodded. Cupping his hands around his mouth he shouted, "Bickslow, Evergreen, can you hear me?"

"We can hear you," Evergreen shouted back.

"Freed and I are going to talk to Gramps and see if we can figure out what's going on. We'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

"You'd better come back," Evergreen's voice sounded wobbly.

"Tell the babies I'm sorry," Bickslow added.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure they get back to Atlantia. Stay safe!" Freed called as he and Laxus disappeared beneath the water.

The swim to Atlantia was quiet; neither merman spoke although the jellyfish made odd whimpering sounds that Laxus hadn't known they were capable of but they followed. Immediately upon their arrival Laxus headed towards the palace where his Grandfather lived while Freed went to go collect the others things.

"We need to talk," Laxus didn't even bother to knock before barging in.

"Hello to you to," Makarov didn't seem too perturbed by his grandson's rudeness. "So what seems to be the problem?"

"We went up to the surface today," there was no sense in beating around the bush in Laxus's opinion. He was known for being overly blunt.

As he had predicted Makarov turned pale. "You did what?"

"It was an accident, old man. Bickslow and Evergreen got washed ashore and when they did their tails disappeared. Do you know why?"

Makarov hesitated then reluctantly nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's a very long story but I suppose that it's time I told you the truth. Many centuries ago I was a land dweller. One day I fell into the sea and I would have drowned but I prayed to whoever was listening and someone answered. Mavis, the goddess of the sea, heard my plea and answered it. She couldn't return me to the land but she could offer me a life under the water. I accepted and afterwards I found others like me that Mavis had given life too; they were scattered all over the place so I gathered them together and formed Atlantia. I fell in love with one of the mermaids and so I married her. Not long after you were born there was a shipwreck and three children fell from it. Mavis had granted me the ability to bestow her gift upon others so I turned the three of them into mer as well. But there is a price; those given the gift, if they return to the shore, they can never return to the sea. Others, such as yourself and Aquarius, who were born here can travel back and forth as you please."

Once the old man had finished speaking Laxus could only stare at him in shock. "You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was," Makarov sighed, suddenly looking much older than he had before.

"Well at least that explains why no one's allowed to go the surface," Laxus mused.

"It's one reason, yes. I was a human once and they are vicious, cruel, coldblooded creatures but not all of them are bad. Some of them are kind and gentle; you just have to be careful about which ones you trust."

"Freed and I will be going to the surface," Laxus decided. "We can't just abandon our friends like that."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Makarov sighed. "I wish you well, my boy, and I hope that you will come back and visit me one day."

"One day," Laxus allowed as he swam to the door. "Take care of yourself, old man."

After meeting up with Freed (and explaining the whole story to him) the two of them headed back to where they had left their friends. The four of them had always been together so they couldn't imagine what their lives would be like without the others. Freed wasn't going to lie and say that he didn't want to remain in Atlantia but he supposed that it would be worth it as long as they didn't have to be separated.

"Hold up," Laxus grabbed Freed's arm and pointed ahead of them. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Aquarius!" Freed shouted, feeling anger overtake him. If they hadn't been chasing her then Bickslow and Evergreen would have never been washed ashore and he wouldn't have to go live on the shore.

The mermaid turned around, looking rather sheepish to have been caught and slightly surprised by the fury in Freed's tone. "I'm not going to the surface!" she yelped.

"Oh really?" Laxus folded his arms. "Then why do you have all your things with you?"

"I-I could ask you the same thing," she stammered, desperately trying to look brave.

"This is Bickslow and Evergreen's stuff who got stranded on the surface while we were out looking for you," Freed hissed, feeling satisfied when her face drained of color.

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen," she sniffed, tears already running down her cheeks.

"Whether or not you meant it doesn't matter. The point is; it happened and now we're all going to have to live with the consequences," Laxus said firmly. "My last act as leader of Fairy Tail is to banish you to the surface world. Although you are capable of living in both worlds you are forbidden from returning to Atlantia no matter what."

A glow surrounded Aquarius for a moment then she bowed her head in defeat. Laxus was one of the few mer that had the ability to banish someone else and it was final. "I understand," she said quietly.

"Good," Laxus nodded in satisfaction then began swimming once more. "Let's go."

The three swam in silence until it began to get brighter and their heads broke through the waves. Laxus was relieved to spot two figures waiting on the shore and began swimming faster. In what felt like no time at all they were pulling themselves onto the sand.

"What're you guys doing here?' Bickslow asked once their tails had split.

"What does it look like?" Laxus handed over the bag that he had been carrying, doing his best to ignore how cold his lower half now was.

"We came to bring you your things," Freed explained.

"This is Laxus's stuff though," Evergreen frowned as she tossed them blankets. "Why is Aquarius here?"

"I banished her," Laxus said casually. "And we came to stay with you. We can't be the Thunder Legion with just two people, now can we?"

"Babies!" Bickslow shouted. "I need water to put them in! Water!" he began running around, clutching the bag to his chest.

"They came too?" Laxus yelped.

"I thought the bag felt funny," Freed groaned.

"Aquarius, my love!" a voice rang out over the beach.

"Scorpio, my darling!" Aquarius immediately sat up, ignoring the fact that she was completely naked.

The Thunder Legion could only watch in shock as a man with red and white hair came running across the beach at full speed.

"How I've missed you," he smiled as he began kissing Aquarius.

"I've missed you more," she told him breathlessly then kissed him back.

"Okay I'm officially disgusted now," Laxus moaned.

"Seriously," Evergreen groaned.

"At least he's real," Freed tried to put a positive spin on it.

"I need water!" Bickslow shouted.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	43. Neko Fairy Tail

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 43: Neko Fairy Tail

"This is all your fault, Natsu," a very ticked off Lucy growled.

The Fire Dragon Slayer gulped and tried to make himself seem as small as possible which was rather difficult seeing as how everyone in the guild was glaring at him.

"I said I was sorry," he protested yet again. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"How about a solution?" Erza glowered.

"Yeah, it was bad enough that you read the job request that caused us to switch bodies but now this?!" a furious Gray pointed to the grey tail now protruding from his posterior while his matching ears twitched.

"He read that request?" Bickslow's blue ears stood at full attention. "Pay up, losers."

Freed sighed as he reluctantly handed over a handful of jewels. "I bet on Gray," he said morosely.

"I thought for sure Erza would have been the one," Evergreen pouted, her brown ears wilting.

"Why do you hate me so much?" the requip wizard demanded.

"How much time do you have?" the fairy wizard smirked.

"How do you know about that?" Lucy demanded, her pink tail swishing furiously.

"Because we wrote it," Bickslow grinned.

"Actually Evergreen and I wrote most of it but Bickslow did help a little," the green ears on top of Freed's head stood up as he began speaking in a lecturing tone.

"April Fools!" Bickslow shouted then began cackling manically.

"But it was nowhere near April Fool's when that request showed up!" Natsu yelled.

"That's the beauty of it," Bickslow giggled.

"Beauty."

"Not expecting it."

"That was a very good idea," Mira conceded as her white ears and tail twitched. She and her two siblings had been given matching ears and tails.

"Very sneaky," Lisanna agreed. She had changed into her cat form so as to better match her new appendages and was currently sitting on the counter.

For once Elfman didn't make a snarky comment about being a man as he was still occupied by the fact that he now resembled a cat.

"That was hilarious," Happy laughed as he ate his fish. He and the other two Exceeds were the only ones that hadn't been affected, mostly because they were already cats.

"I fail to see the humor in this situation. What we need to do now is focus on figuring out how to undo this," Pantherlily was calm as always, completely ignoring the fact that Gajeel was now sprouting scaly ears and a tail.

"Agreed," Carla groaned. "Wendy, stop flicking your tail like that! You're going to hurt someone!"

"Sorry," the Sky Dragon Slayer apologized, looking rather morose. "I haven't figured out how to control it yet," her blue scaled tail twitched in agreement.

"It's not your fault, child," Carla sighed as she sent a glare in Natsu's direction.

"It's not my fault either," Natsu wailed.

"How's it coming, Levy?" Lucy asked.

"Very difficult," Levy frowned and her blue tail swished.

"Would you like some assistance?" Freed offered.

"Of course," Levy smiled. "Especially if you wrote the first one."

"I am rather proud of that one," Freed smirked. "Particularly where it's set to switch everyone should someone try to undo it and then switch them back after an hour."

"We were very relieved when we got switched back," Lucy moaned.

"Watch it, Gray, your tail's icing everything up!" Cana shouted ignoring the fact that her brown tail was throwing her spell cards everywhere.

"It's not my fault! Besides, Natsu's just set a table on fire!" the ice mage shouted back.

"At least I'm not summoning swords like Erza!" Natsu quickly defended himself.

"What?" startled, Erza looked behind her to see that her red tail was indeed throwing swords at the wall. "No, bad tail!" she scolded.

There was a brilliant flash of light then Loke appeared. "You summoned me, my dear?"

"No I didn't," Lucy looked confused for a moment then glared at her tail which was holding her keys. "Give those back right now."

"I'll gladly assist you, my love," Loke bowed before springing into action.

"You were right," Bickslow whispered in Evergreen's ear. "This is way better than our last prank."

"Totally," she smirked and gave him a high five.

"What's going on here?" Laxus entered the building with Makarov, looking very confused.

"Uh-oh," Bickslow slunk down in his seat, wincing when tails and ears appeared on both of the newcomers.

"Why do I have a tail?" Laxus growled even as lightning began sparking all around him.

"Oh dear," Makarov sighed.

"Suddenly having it automatically add tails and ears to whoever enters doesn't seem like a good idea," Evergreen gulped.

"Bad idea," the babies flew closer to Bickslow, certain that he would be able to conduct the lightning better than they could.

"Laxus!" Freed had turned a rather peculiar shade of white. "Y-you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow."

"We got done early," Laxus shrugged. "Are you feeling all right, Freed? You're awfully pale."

Freed seemed incapable of responding; his mouth hung open but nothing was coming out.

"Well he's down," Bickslow sounded a bit disgruntled. "I thought for sure he'd last longer."

"Well it's every Thunder Legion member for themselves," Evergreen got out of her chair and began to head towards the back only to stop when lightning hit the spot directly in front of her. "Never mind," she sighed.

"The three of you are acting awfully suspicious," Laxus crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, no doubt waiting to hear an explanation.

"We're suspicious characters or haven't you heard?" Bickslow grinned.

"Did the three of you have anything to do with this?" Makarov pointed at the orange and blue ears atop his head.

"Maybe," Evergreen said slowly.

"What do ya mean, maybe? It was your idea in the first place," Bickslow pointed out.

"I'm going to kill you," she hissed.

"Not if Laxus kills me first," Bickslow countered.

"Kills us first," the babies sounded sad. They were hoping that Laxus didn't choose now to abandon his nicer side and return to being a jerk like he had been.

"I won't kill you," Laxus sighed. "Just fix this."

"That might be a bit difficult to do," Freed winced, having finally recovered the power of speech.

"How so?" Laxus glared.

"It's not going to wear off until everyone gets a good night's sleep," Freed explained.

"Is that all?" Laxus blinked. "That's easy to fix. We'll just knock everyone out."

"What?!" the guild shouted.

"Hold still; this is going to hurt a little," Laxus grinned as the lightning got brighter.

"But I don't wanna get struck by lightning," Lucy wailed.

"Then you better start running cuz the boss is serious," Bickslow told her as he began making his way into the rafters.

Laxus laughed as everyone began running in an attempt to get away from him. "You can run but you can't hide," he called.

"Don't destroy my guild!" Makarov shouted.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry it's so late but Atlantia took longer to write then I thought and I'm in the middle of moving so things are a bit hectic. This chapter was actually inspired by a picture I saw on Facebook of the Thunder Legion with cat ears. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	44. Dark Friendship

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 44: Dark Friendship

It was mid-afternoon when Bickslow stumbled across the man sleeping by the side of the road. His first thought was that he wished he had some lipstick so as to decorate the man and his second was that the flying carpet he was on was totally awesome. Now Bickslow wasn't a complete fool and had, in fact, learned the identities of everyone in a dark guild, including the former members of Oracion Seis and so it only took him a few moments to realize that the sleeping man was none other than Midnight, the strongest of the group.

Bickslow cocked his head to one side and considered his options then grinned.

"Bad idea," Peppe informed him.

"So what? At least it'll give me something to do until the others find us," Bickslow said.

"We told you to keep up with them," Pappa sniffed.

"But this'll be fun," Puppu defended Bickslow.

"Fun," Pippi and Poppo echoed.

Bickslow simply ignored the souls and focused on Midnight's soul. His eyes glowed briefly then returned to their normal color even as Midnight awoke with a shout.

"What the hell?" Midnight looked around wildly in an attempt to figure out who had woken him up. He could feel his power just begging to be set free on the interloper. Once his eyes fell on the man sitting in front of him, however, he felt a slight chill run down his spine. The Thunder Legion was notorious among the dark guilds and even the strongest of them did their best to avoid attracting their attention. Now Midnight was not the type to cower in fear but he did know the value of not picking a fight with everyone that he came across. Besides, rumor had it Bickslow was insane and was more likely to let him escape with his life.

"Hi," the seith mage grinned, sticking out his tongue.

"Hi yourself," Midnight retorted. "What did you wake me up for?"

Bickslow shrugged. "I was bored," he admitted. "And I thought you might be fun to hang out with until Laxus finds me."

Laxus Dreyar was here as well? Oh wonderful. He could just imagine what would happen if Laxus and Cobra ran into each other. That would so not be pretty.

"So did you dye your hair?"

Midnight blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your hair," Bickslow repeated. "Did you dye it or is it natural?"

"Natural," Midnight sniffed, offended at the mere thought of doing anything to his perfect hair.

"Everyone thinks I dye my hair too," Bickslow pulled off his visor.

"The blue and black look very nice together," Midnight told him, relaxing just a little bit.

"Thanks," Bickslow grinned.

"Thanks," the flying totems repeated as they flew around their master's head.

"Fascinating little things," Midnight reached up and tapped one with a perfectly manicured nail.

"Most people say creepy but I like fascinating better," Bickslow also tapped one of the totems.

"Most people also call us creepy," Midnight pointed out.

"True," Bickslow looked melancholy for a moment then brightened. "But it's okay cuz I usually have the babies haunt them or else I play pranks on them."

"Pranks are quite fun, aren't they?"

The two men grinned at each other, an instant bond of comradery springing up between them.

* * *

Meanwhile, several miles away two different groups of mages both stopped, each swearing that they had just felt a chill.

"I don't care about any chill," Laxus insisted. "I just want to find that idiot Bickslow so we can go home."

"I just have a bad feeling about this," Freed groaned.

"So do I," Evergreen frowned, crossing her arms.

"Will the two of you just shut up?" Laxus snapped as he continued sniffing the air. "I got his scent," he announced.

"Finally," Ever rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Have you found him yet, Cobra?" Racer asked.

"It would go a lot faster if people would stop interrupting me or not wear strong perfume!" Cobra snapped.

"I said I was sorry," Angel tossed her hair.

Cobra's snake, Cubellios, hissed at the female mage even as she laid her tail comfortingly over her master's shoulders.

"Perhaps if we sang a song he would hear us," Hot Eye suggested.

"No more songs," Cobra groaned. "Besides, I can smell him and someone else. That way," he pointed.

* * *

"I must say, you really are rather good at braids," Bickslow said as he admired the new additions to his hair.

"Well it was a bit difficult, especially since your hair isn't very long but I did manage to get it done," Midnight smiled proudly. "Besides, you're much better at painting toenails than I am."

Indeed, the mages had long since taken off their boots and, using some black nail polish Bickslow had hidden in his clothes, were taking turns painting each other's toenails.

"My sister pitches a big fit if her nails aren't done properly," Bickslow rolled his eyes. "Plus it helps me focus if I'm having trouble concentrating."

"None of the others will let me paint their nails," Midnight said wistfully. "Well Angel did once but I kind of got it all over her clothes so she wouldn't let me do it again."

"Sometimes Freed'll let me do his but only if he's not going out in public or I'm super bored."

"Freed's the gay one, right?"

"Right," Bickslow confirmed. "Laxus claims he likes only girls but I've seen him make out with a few guys before when he's really drunk and Ever had a huge crush on Erza when she was younger but she got over that pretty quickly."

"I'll bet," Midnight snickered. Evergreen's hatred of Erza was legendary, even among the other guilds. "And she's dating Elfman Strauss right now if I'm not mistaken."

"Yep," Bickslow returned the nail polish to its hiding place. "And the Strauss's are staying with us for right now since their apartment building burned down."

"That's terrible," Midnight shook his head. "I don't suppose Natsu did it?" he sounded hopeful.

"Not that we know of," Bickslow shrugged. "Mira even asked him about it and he denied doing it."

"I doubt even he's stupid enough to lie to the She-Devil," Midnight agreed.

"Bickslow!"

"Midnight!"

Just then their teams both stepped into view.

"Uh-oh," Bickslow hastily began putting his boots back on.

"Hi," Midnight waved weakly to his comrades as he too grabbed his boots.

"What the hell are you two maniacs doing?" Laxus roared.

"Hey you can't call my teammate a maniac; only I get to do that," Cobra bared his fangs.

"Oh dear," Freed placed a hand over his face.

"Oh really? And who's going to stop me?" Laxus's grin was a bit menacing, even as lightning began to spark in the air around him.

"Bickslow, would you hurry it up?" Evergreen stormed over.

"Move it, Macbeth," Angel ordered as she too came to collect her teammate.

"I'm coming," Bickslow sprang to his feet, still holding a boot.

"Put it on later," Evergreen ordered.

"Don't forget your visor," Midnight handed it back over. "Hopefully I'll get to see you again, sometime. It was rather fun."

"Thanks. Don't worry; I know how to find your new guild," Bickslow grinned. "By the way you might want to tell that Cobra dude that his snake has a human soul. It isn't a real animal."

"Really?" Midnight blinked. "Well that's certainly interesting to know. I'll pass the message along then and…ow! Angel, that's my ear!"

"Then move it!" the Celestial mage retorted as she stalked off, pulling him with her.

"Don't make me grab your ear," Ever folded her arms.

"I'm good," Bickslow yelped as he sprinted over to where Freed and Laxus were.

"Laxus, we have Bickslow back why don't we just go home?" Freed pleaded.

"Cobra, we need to go," Racer said. "We found Midnight plus it's getting dark out here."

"Fine," Cobra growled. "We're leaving."

"So are we," Laxus glowered.

The two Dragon Slayers stared at each other even as their teammates began pulling them away from the scene.

"Did you at least have fun?" Freed asked once they had managed to escape without starting a fight.

"Oh yes," Bickslow nodded. "Lots. I can't wait to do it again!"

"Next time we're leaving him at home," Ever pointed at their leader.

"It's a territory thing," Laxus protested.

Freed just sighed and shook his head.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry it's so late but between moving and spraining something I've been a bit busy. Not sure when the next chapter will be but it should be next week. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


	45. Childhood Rerun

Thunder & Lightning

Chapter 45: Childhood Rerun

"What the hell happened?" an expression of absolute fury was on Evergreen's face and she looked even more scary than normal which was a very amazing feat all things considered.

Gray gulped and briefly wondered if he could make it out the door without being caught but quickly reconsidered when he saw a pissed-off Elfman in his peripheral vision.

"I'm waiting," she crossed her arms and began tapping her foot.

"It wasn't my fault!" he cried. "Ultear and I were just talking when they came out of nowhere. She got startled and threw a time sphere at them before running off."

"Do you have any idea the effects will last?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"No," he shook his head. "Please don't kill me!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

Gray cast about wildly in his mind then brightened as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "Because you don't want to set a bad example for the kids?" he said weakly.

Evergreen glanced over at the bar where the child versions of Freed, Laxus and Bickslow were huddling, whispering amongst themselves. "Sorry but that won't work. Try another one."

"Ever," Laxus whined.

The change was immediate; Ever's scowl was replaced by a smile and she suddenly looked like a completely different person. "Yes, Laxus?"

"Can we go home now? Bickslow's getting bored."

"Of course," Ever held out her hands which were immediately claimed by Freed and Bickslow. "We'll finish this discussion later," she whispered in Gray's ear.

The ice mage waited until she and her siblings and Elfman had left the building then grabbed the first job request he saw on the board and left as quickly as he could. Hopefully by the time he was done everyone would be back to normal and he wouldn't have to worry about his life anymore.

* * *

"They're so cute!" Mira squealed, clasping her hands in front of her.

The three children took one look at her then hid behind Evergreen.

"Are you sure that's Mira?" Freed whispered, tugging on his sister's dress.

"Was she body-snatched or something?" Laxus wanted to know.

"No," Evergreen rolled her eyes and pushed the boys out from behind her. "It's called growing up."

"We don't act like that do we?" Laxus looked rather worried.

"Act like that?" the babies asked as they flew around their young master's head. They had definitely been surprised when he had suddenly changed age but hey. It wasn't like he acted that different.

"Don't worry, boys, you're safe," Evergreen sighed.

"Any idea how long they're going to be like that?" Mira asked, her hand sneaking towards Bickslow's hair.

"None whatsoever," Ever shook her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"But it's so fluffy," Mira pouted.

"Fluffy?" Laxus and Freed repeated in unison as they looked doubtfully at their brother's hair. Fluffy was not one of the words that came to mind.

Bickslow also eyed the woman then grinned and moved closer to her. She seemed much more likely to give him candy then Evergreen. Indeed, his sister was already going through the kitchen, discretely placing all the sugary sweets in boring, bland boxes. Hah! Like that was really going to work.

"So what do we do with them?" Lisanna asked as she and Elfman entered the room.

"I guess just take care of them and hope that they return to normal soon," Evergreen groaned. Looking back, she could plainly see just how horrible they had all been as children and she wasn't overly sure that she wanted to go through that again.

Clearly Elfman remembered as well because he was starting to look worried. "Mira!" he suddenly yelped. "What are you doing?"

"They looked so cute," Mira said weakly as the three boys stuffed candy into their mouths.

Evergreen looked at the three of them then turned to Elfman and said, "We're never having children. Ever."

Elfman stared as she stalked out of the room then turned to Mira. "Did I miss something?"

"No," Mira shook her head, smiling.

"You did," Lisanna patted her brother on the shoulder as she too left the room.

"Now don't let them break anything or make a mess," Mira ordered.

"Where are you going?" Elfman demanded, already starting to panic a little.

"Out," she said simply.

"B-but," Elfman stammered, unable to form a complete sentence as she strode out of the kitchen. "Why me?" he groaned.

* * *

"All right," Evergreen crossed her arms and did her best to look intimidating. Sadly, it was rather difficult as the boys had long grown accustomed to her and no longer found her scary. "What did you little maniacs do to Elfman?"

"We just played with him," Bickslow blinked innocently. Unfortunately, for him, it had the opposite effect of making him just look creepy.

"Freed," Evergreen narrowed in on the green haired boy. He was the easiest to break and always had been.

"I'm not telling," he swallowed.

Since Freed wasn't talking that must mean that all of this had been Laxus's fault and getting him to talk would be impossible. So she sighed and sat down in a chair and settled for merely glaring at them. "Obnoxious little pests," she muttered.

"I want a story," Bickslow demanded.

"No," she answered automatically.

"Tell me a story," he scowled.

"Story!" the babies began chanting.

"Why not?" Laxus shrugged. "Story, story."

"Well I suppose if Laxus is doing it," Freed sighed, choosing to ignore the fact that he was technically an adult in the body of a ten-year-old. "Story."

"Fine!" Evergreen snapped. "I'll tell you brats a story. Once upon a time there were three bratty little boys and they served the beautiful Titania Evergreen. One day one of the boys, his name was Laxus, angered the Titania and she threatened to devour them if Laxus did not sacrifice himself on the night of the full moon. Now Laxus was a selfish little boy but he cared for his friends dearly so he decided to go and do as she had commanded. His friends, meanwhile, had also decided that they didn't want Laxus to die so they followed him and just as the beautiful Titania was about to devour him they threw themselves at her feet and pleaded for her to spare to Laxus's life and take their own instead. Titania was rather touched by their sincere words and so she decided,"

"She spared them all right?" Bickslow said eagerly.

Evergreen gave him a dirty look and continued, "She was rather touched by their sincere words and so she decided that she would devour all three of the children so that they would never have to be apart. The end."

"That was a horrible story," Freed said at last.

"So was making Elfman cry and hide in a corner screaming that he was never going to reproduce," Evergreen gave them a stern look as she stood up. "It's time for you three to go to bed."

The boys pouted but did as they were told as she shepherded them into Bickslow's bed since Elfman had used the opportunity to claim Freed's bed for the night. She waited until they had gotten comfortable then she tucked them in and gave them each a kiss.

"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite," she had only heard the nursery rhyme a few times but still found it amusing each and every time.

"Bedbugs?" Laxus demanded.

"I have no idea what's in here; it's Bickslow's room," she said airily as she exited the room.

"Good news," Mira smiled as Ever entered the kitchen. "The spell that Ultear cast on them is only temporary and will go away after a good night's sleep."

"Thank goodness," Evergreen groaned as she sank into a chair. "Don't get me wrong; I love the boys but I prefer them as adults."

"No kidding," Mira sighed.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked! Sorry about the lateness of the chapter but between trying to put up miniblinds and plan a house warming party things have been a bit hectic. The next chapter is going to be a lot longer so I don't know when I'll be able to post it. Thanks for all the reviews! Please read and review!


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